MLB notes: Average salary tops $4 mil
Even before the first pitch of the 2015 season is thrown, an eye-popping baseball record will be set.
The average salary when opening-day rosters are finalized Sunday will break the $4 million benchmark for the first time, according to a study of all major league contracts by The Associated Press. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw tops players at $31 million and Los Angeles projects to open the season with a payroll at about $270 million, easily a record.
Fueled by the largest two-year growth in more than a decade, the average salary projects to be about $4.25 million, according to the AP study, with the final figure depending on how many players are put on the disabled list before the first pitch is thrown. That is up from $3.95 million on the first day of last season and $3.65 million when 2013 began.
In a $9 billion industry propelled by ballpark luxury suites and premium tickets, regional sports networks and streaming video, more than half the major leaguers are millionaires.
Last year, the Dodgers opened at $234 million and ended the New York Yankees’ 15-year streak as baseball’s biggest spenders. Still seeking their first World Series title since 1988, Los Angeles is No. 1 by a huge margin. The Yankees project to be second at about $215 million, followed by Boston at around $185 million.
Detroit is fourth at roughly $170 million – about $100 million less than the Dodgers. Coming off its third World Series title in five years, San Francisco is fifth, about $1 million behind the Tigers.
The low rollers are led by Miami (about $65 million), with Houston a few million dollars higher.
Clearing the bases
David Price was rocked for seven runs over six innings in his final start of spring training for Detroit, a 7-3 loss to Pittsburgh. Price is to start Monday’s opener against Minnesota, ending Justin Verlander ’s streak of pitching seven straight Tigers openers. … Andre Ethier left the Dodgers’ 2-1 loss to the White Sox after he was hit on his right elbow by a pitch. He was plunked by rookie Carlos Rodon in the third and replaced by Chris Heisey, who homered in the fifth. … Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon was scheduled to meet a doctor in Vail, Colorado, for a third opinion on his injured left knee. … Toronto has picked Drew Hutchison to make his first opening-day start against the Yankees and Masahiro Tanaka on Monday. … Chris Tillman has been selected to start Baltimore’s opener on Monday, his second-straight opening-day assignment. … Philadelphia outfielder Domonic Brown will start the season on the DL.