A-Rod tops list of highest-paid players
When he managed the Baltimore Orioles from the late 1960s into the 1980s, Earl Weaver didn't much go for the small ball philosophy of running, bunting and tight defense. His favored formula: pitching and three-run homers. Why overthink things when a well-pitched game and a blast or two usually did the trick?
Weaver did a lot of winning in Baltimore, and it seems that baseball's current mindset puts a lot of value on his approach. Of the 10 players in Major League Baseball who stand to collect the most money in 2011, all are starting pitchers or sluggers. No fleet outfielders, relief pitchers or speedsters in sight. And, not surprisingly, 7 of the 10 play in New York and Philadelphia.
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Leading the way, naturally: Alex Rodriguez(notes), the veteran Yankee star who will pocket $31 million this year as part of a 10-year, $275 million deal he signed after the 2007 season. Exorbitant? Not really. A-Rod may not be the most beloved Yankee of all time, but he might be the greatest player in baseball history. That he bagged the game's biggest contract, at least until Albert Pujols(notes) signs his next deal, shouldn't be a surprise. The risk for the Yankees lies in the length of the contract – after 2011 they'll still owe him another $143 million through age 42. Let's hope the marketing benefits they expect from Rodriguez's run at the all-time home run record don't get too watered down by his steroid admission.
Not that the Bombers can't afford the money. How out of whack is their payroll relative to the rest of the league? Three of their players – Rodriguez, pitcher CC Sabathia(notes) ($23 million) and first baseman Mark Teixeira(notes) ($22.5 million) – rank among the four highest-paid players in the game this season (Minnesota's Joe Mauer(notes) being the other). Throw in the next four Yankees on the pay chart – A.J. Burnett(notes), Derek Jeter(notes), Mariano Rivera(notes) and Jorge Posada(notes) – and the tab adds up to $138.1 million for the club's seven highest-paid players. That's more than the entire roster of every MLB club aside from the Phillies and Red Sox (with the Mets and Angels right on the cusp; time will tell what their final payroll numbers add up to).
Baseball's two highest-paid pitchers, Sabathia and the Mets' Johan Santana(notes) (No. 5 overall), are pretty much the poster boys for New York largesse. Both have had outstanding careers so far, but not to the point of justifying their $20 million-plus salaries. If you're a believer in the "Value Over Replacement Player" stats put out by Baseball Prospectus, which estimate the number of wins a player contributes to his team over and above a minimum salaried replacement, Sabathia ranked as baseball's 11th best pitcher in 2010, Santana the 13th best. Yet they're 1-2 in pitcher salary – New York teams generally spare no expense to get their man. Not that the approach helped the Mets much – it's a shame Fred Wilpon can't get a mulligan on that one, especially with Santana now nursing a shoulder injury.
The Phillies, like the Yankees, are trying to get back to the playoffs by loading a lot of eggs in just a few baskets, committing $92.5 million this season to five players. The three that rank in baseball's overall top 10: pitchers Cliff Lee(notes) and Roy Halladay(notes), and first baseman Ryan Howard(notes).
The top five:
1. Alex Rodriguez
2. CC Sabathia
3. Joe Mauer
4. Mark Teixeira
5. Johan Santana
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