Opening Day roster by financial spreadsheet

by Ivy Walls on Apr 5, 2009 6:21 PM CDT

CORRECTED

I have put together a Google Doc here (now corrected) and it is the best collection of Cubs payroll data I can find for the 2009 Cubs. All told I have the payroll at $134.3929M, ($128.8279M) present 25-man roster). There is some discussion about whether to book Dempster's $4M signing bonus in 2008 or 2009 but I think there was no reason to declare a bonus of $4M and then pay $8M the first and all the remainder years at $12M other than to account for it in another fiscal year, so I have done so.

Some notes: Ultimately you value what you pay for so here are the percentages by position:

Starting position players: $64.53M (48.01%) ave per player ($8.06M)
Starting pitchers (rotation) $45.20M (33.63%) ave per pitcher ($9.04M)
Bullpen $11.8465M (0.088%) ave per pitcher ($1.69M)
Bench $6.8825M (0.051%) ave per player ($1.38M)
Ave per player $5.1531M

10 players are making $1M or less and 8 are making less than $501K. 6 are making more than $10M.

Last comment; I am saying the Cubs have roughly $7M left in in their 2009 payroll budget ($141M), so that translates to a player with $12-14M 2009 salary if acquired after July 1st. The other adjustments I can see is if the Cubs recoup $400K from Gaudin's release or of course if they can trade a salary like Vizcaino.

BTW I:the reserve catcher not only cost the Cubs once but thrice with an obligation to Blanco ($300K) but also another severance check to Bako ($150K) or a total of $450K plus the $475K salary to K Hill amounting to a $925K cost for the back up catcher. Again value you what you pay for and a back up catcher is more than the 30-40 game starts so Cubs wanted to make sure they had #2.

BTW II: Johnson and Miles as backups on the OF and IF are making more than the bench average, tells me they are considered valuable---esp. when Miles is making more than the Bayou Dynamic Duo combined.

Final Note: USA TODAY published their database and I have found two incorrect salaries, Zambrano and Dempster inflating the Cubs reported payroll on that website by $2M.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

i really don't understand people's obsession with payroll

by xene on Apr 5, 2009 7:43 PM CDT reply actions

because it has a bearing on the team---MLB after all is a business

This is not some monopoly game. Payroll is an aggregate thing, like all business possesses a budget, a ceiling on how much can be spent on acquiring on field talent. $129M or $134M is a number that is real—-not just some virtual scorecard in the sky, but a number that actual dollars have to be distributed in the consequence of the business—-tickets sales, concessions, broadcast rights, trade good rights—-et cetera….now if you don’t go to a game it has less direct effect on you since you will not have to pay an average of $45 per ticket or $6.00 for a 3.2 beer or whatever it costs for cotton candy or some judy stick for your kids,

but it does limit whether the Cubs can get another pitcher like Halladay or Peavy or Bedard or whomever might come available——

It is a piece of the reality——and the game.

I mean you think the Pirates fans are obsessed with payroll or P’OD?

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Apr 5, 2009 8:17 PM CDT up reply actions

Because it has a profound affect

on what teams can do and cannot do to improve their team.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Apr 6, 2009 6:30 AM CDT up reply actions

It does, but...

… bottom line (so to speak) is, that after all this money talk is said and done, the players you have, have to go out and perform.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Apr 6, 2009 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions

absolutely

Unlike something like college ball where there is no $$$ quotient a player like Fukudome would not be starting—-

$$ has a bearing throughout, it is both a motivator for those making under $1M knowing they only have so many years. Look at Demp, he was a good closer but wanted to start because that is where the $$ is. $$ might be the factor that caused Pie to swing like Sosa. $$ is a motivator for Bradley to make his appearances and stay healthy. $$ is a motivator for Gregg to have a career year on a contender when next season he is a FA.

I have developed comp programs for execs and sales organizations and $$ is the silent manager. Put together a bad comp program and the situation goes haywire like the Wall Street world where bonuses are used as annual salaries instead of merit pay. Create commissions based solely on transactions and you get transactions not production. Design a comp program is solely based on net profits and all you get is high flyers seeking HR’s. Put together a simple reflective comp program for what you want to achieve and you have the silent hand.

Comp programs are not universal. Mayo Clinic has a straight salary for its doctors, they even do all the financial planning and taxes for them. They want them to treat patients at the highest level. A local doc I know gets paid here by how many patients he sees in his office time——think he spends more than 5 minutes with a patient?

I once had a bank come to me and say they wanted to set up a comp program for tellers to market their fin products. I asked, now isn’t a teller supposed to count money accurately and record transactions perfectly? Yes but…..I said why not just put up signs and have brochures, and this banker said if I can get tellers to sell I can cut some personal bankers…that bank was sold.

The comp gives you a picture. Cubs are spending about $57M on pitching while and about $73M on hitting where the division on the roster is 48% to 52%. Then again four of the starters are getting about 35% of the entire salary while 5 position players are getting 48% of the salary—-meaning that 9 of 25 (36%) of the club is getting 83% of the comp. That equates to the general 80/20 rule.

Ultimately meaning that 80% of the production will come from 36% of this club. We shall see.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Apr 6, 2009 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions

Gregg

Has one more year of arbitration eligibility before being a free agent.

I didn't get the players I wanted in the offseason!! Hopefully I get what I want in the Regular Season---The World Series Trophy!! Go Cubbies!!

by cubsluver22 on Apr 6, 2009 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions

if I'm not mistaken

I didn't get the players I wanted in the offseason!! Hopefully I get what I want in the Regular Season---The World Series Trophy!! Go Cubbies!!

by cubsluver22 on Apr 6, 2009 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions

I believe you are mistaken.

2009 will be Gregg’s sixth full major league season. He’ll be a free agent after this year.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Apr 6, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions

that was my record as well

Good situation to have a closer in who needs to prove himself.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Apr 6, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Signed, The Florida Marlins

Funny how loneliness sounds so good, until you hear the echoes of your soul burning a hole in your shirt. -DJM

by heine41 on Apr 6, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for this

Good place to fin all of the info for everyone on the Cubs.

"Check the magic of a winning season and there are always reasons beyond the talent." Ned Colleti

by wrigleyrocker12 on Apr 5, 2009 7:54 PM CDT reply actions

thanks

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Apr 5, 2009 8:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Player salaries have more to do with service time than their production,

particularly for players with 0-6 years of MLB service time.

Hey, it's a new century!

by cowsarecool220 on Apr 5, 2009 7:59 PM CDT reply actions

true...true

but then again….service time also involves a body of work and potential or projection of success.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Apr 5, 2009 8:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Sounds like a union line

Ask Ryan Howard about service time versus production.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Apr 6, 2009 6:30 AM CDT up reply actions

thanks for taking the time to put this together

Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.

by Cubbie-Tim on Apr 5, 2009 8:20 PM CDT reply actions

There are a couple of things looking at this roster composition

Only Hoffpauir has a straight options capability, Marshall, Heilman, Marmol, Theriot, & Fontenot have what is called optional assignment waivers which is a detail in the MLB agreement:

A player with at least five years of MLB service time can refuse an Optional Assignment to the minors, but some players with less than five years of MLB service time must first clear Optional Assignment Waivers (AKA “Recall Waivers”) before they can be optioned to the minors. A player reaches this point when he hits the third anniversary of being added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster), or the two-year anniversary if the player spent one full season on Optional Assignment to the minors prior to being added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) for the first time, or the one-year anniversary if the player spent two full seasons on Optional Assignment to the minors prior to being added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) for the first time.

meaning it is a game of chicken.. as I read in that refusing an optional assignment and seeking a waiver means they can be cut and lose their contract would have to lose their MLB contract…and hope to be picked up by another team….Now these five players are all key players and basically starters…

With Patton (who we all know is a Rule V) that a change in the roster outside a DL assignment that these players are who the Cubs have or they have to be cut.

So now let us see what the means:

Vizcaino and Patton appear to be the players on the cusp…Patton because dropping him costs the Cubs nothing but a flyer in trying to steal a player from another organization and Vizcaino in that he costs another team $900,000 minus each payroll week.

Gathright and Hoffpauir appear to be the other movements, Hoff simply goes to Iowa but Gathright possibly could be picked up for $400,000 minus the payroll weeks.

Finally there is Fukudome, but he simply goes to the bench. Here is my fear right now with Dome….is there something wrong with his vision? What concerns me is his missed fly balls, the is a good filed er and those two balls, concern me. Seeing is baseballs’ most important skills and could this be why he is having trouble hitting? I am not sure but often there is an explanation when a player falls off the cliff.

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Apr 5, 2009 9:19 PM CDT reply actions

You might be right about Dome's vision

But that missed flyball over the windy weekend isn’t bothering me. It appeared that both Dome and Bradley were both fooled by hits into deep right-center all weekend. The mlb.tv announcers were making comments all game about how surprisingly far things were carrying to right-center.

Was Dome missing a lot of fly balls during ST? If so, then you may be on to something with the vision thing.

Thanks for the payroll numbers, btw. Good to know when theorycrafting who the Cubs might be able to get at the trade deadline.

by Cubinator on Apr 6, 2009 1:22 AM CDT up reply actions

Fukudome did make that one misplay during spring training...

… part of it may be playing a position he hasn’t played much.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Apr 6, 2009 9:07 AM CDT up reply actions

Nice Post

rec’d

I didn't get the players I wanted in the offseason!! Hopefully I get what I want in the Regular Season---The World Series Trophy!! Go Cubbies!!

by cubsluver22 on Apr 5, 2009 10:27 PM CDT reply actions

gacias amigo

Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."

by Ivy Walls on Apr 5, 2009 10:42 PM CDT up reply actions

That was quite interesting to compare

"That's what you live for. You live for the opportunity and when that day comes, you better be ready," Soto said. "I tried to make sure that whenever they gave me a chance, I was ready and I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity."

by Madison Cub Fan on Apr 5, 2009 11:35 PM CDT reply actions

I love teh internets.

Nice post! It’s helpful to see some of this stuff spelled out in a simple format, and google docs is an ideal way to do spreadsheets like this. (Hopefully others here will take note and follow suit; it looks much better than the tables that always wind up being to wide for my screen.)

I will note that some of the percentages seem off (pen should be about 8.8%, bench 5.1%); not sure what numbers you’re using for totals to get those percentages.

I left my clever sig line in my other pants.

by znohitter on Apr 5, 2009 11:42 PM CDT reply actions