White Sox Payroll

I found an awesome spread sheet on the White Sox’s payroll for the next 3 years on soxtalk.com.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4797/2009contractsheetns8.jpg

And it looks like we are seriously cutting back not just this year but over the next few years as well. However, there were a couple of changes in the spreadsheet that I would make. For example, I would include Dyes’ and Thorntons’ contracts to the 2010 season since there is no way the Sox will buy out Thornton or JD in my opinion (who’s going to play in his place?) 

So I took it to myself to make my own spread sheet based off the one above.

For the estimated arb contracts, I included Gavin's newly inked contract, based Danks arb off of Lester's contract, based Quentin’s arb off of Utely’s contract (they potentially have very similar power numbers), based Carrasco’s arb off of Thorntons contract, based Jenks arb off of K Rod’s contract, based Fields arb off of Crede’s contract, and completely ignored Jerry Owens arb. I doubled Dewayne's arb from the previous season, and doubled Anderson’s arb off of that. I also copied Betemit’s arb from this year.

2010 Contracts (in millions)

1.3 Betemit

14 Buehrle

12 Dye

12 Konerko

5 Linebrink

6.25 Pierzynski

1.1 Ramirez

2.25 Matt Thornton

1.25 Viciedo

2.75 Floyd 

1 Wise

.35 MacDougal buyout

Arb (Educated Guesses)

2 Anderson

2.5 Carrasco

3.75 Danks

4.5 Quentin

7 Jenks

 4.5 at .5 mill for 9 players needed to fill 25 player roster

Total: 83.5 million

2011

14 Buehrle

5.5 Linebrink

1.1 Ramirez

1.25 Viciedo

3 Thornton

4.75 Floyd

Arb (Educated Guesses)

1.3 Betemit

1 Wise

3 Anderson

3 Carrasco

5.75 Danks

2.5 Fields

7.5 Quentin

10 Jenks 

6.5 at 11 players at .5 M needed to fill out 25 man roster

Total: 69.15 million

69.15 Million in 2011 is not a bad drop off from 121 million in 08. The Sox will have about halved their payroll, dropping them from the 6 spot out of 30 teams into the 20th spot (of 2008 payrolls). That would put them below the Padres of 08, and above the Rockies of 08.

This is potentially a good development since the Sox are phasing out the veterans and bringing in the new kids who can play. Cheaper payroll is not a sure sign of improving  from an expensive veteran team, but in this case, with recent excellent drafts and the Sox’s now top heavy farm system, fans can look to the future for a dominant young core team that will hang around for several years. The Chicago White Sox are getting younger, faster, cheaper, and better.

Here comes an Ozzieball World Series in 2011.