2019 Opening Day MLB Payrolls

2019 Opening Day MLB Payrolls
After an offseason that slowly but surely found its way to nearly $1.8 billion in free agent signings, the 2019 MLB regular season is upon on us. We've broken down the financial figures for the upcoming season by team, highlighting how the opening day total roster, 25-man roster, & 40-man luxury tax payrolls break down.
2019 MLB Total Roster Payrolls

The following table breaks down the opening day payrolls for each 2019 MLB team. The Total Payroll column includes all team allocations, including active roster, disabled list, buried, retained, or suspended salaries. The 25-Man Roster payroll includes just the 25 players who have been selected for opening day, while the Luxury Tax payroll includes all players currently on the 40-man roster.

 

Notable Notes

  • The Boston Red Sox lead all teams with a $225M payroll, thanks to a starting-5 rotation that accounts for $88M. They'e also the Tax Payroll leaders at an estimated $238M, $32M north of the cap.
  • The Cubs will send out an Opening Day 25-Man roster that accounts for over $193M, $12M more than any team & $144M more than the last play Rays at $49M.
  • The Red Sox, Cubs, and Yankees currently sit above the $206M tax cap, while the Dodgers & Nats are within reach.
  • Despite bloated salaries in years past, the Dodgers' Opening Day 25-Man roster accounts for just $100M, 17th most in MLB. This is due in large part to injuries as noted below.
  • The Dodgers ($52M), Yankees ($52M), & Mets ($47) lead all teams in Injured List salary to start the 2019 campaign, while 12 teams are carrying less than $10M here.
 Total Payroll25-Man RosterLuxury Tax Payroll
Arizona Diamondbacks $122,858,766 $100,359,166 $135,150,834
Atlanta Braves $114,382,103 $89,601,043 $125,778,310
Baltimore Orioles $73,239,882 $52,181,882 $83,821,100
Boston Red Sox $225,183,602 $181,541,000 $238,291,667
Chicago Cubs $212,077,714 $193,702,714 $221,793,167
Chicago White Sox $89,902,001 $83,791,001 $112,997,001
Cincinnati Reds $126,423,214 $106,440,714 $143,970,238
Cleveland Indians $119,241,701 $88,713,833 $121,958,383
Colorado Rockies $146,346,833 $142,599,333 $165,080,166
Detroit Tigers $116,478,400 $97,988,900 $111,543,400
Houston Astros $160,774,666 $147,619,666 $192,034,329
Kansas City Royals $100,563,292 $67,864,767 $98,399,283
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim $159,330,083 $132,126,583 $182,894,465
Los Angeles Dodgers $197,701,668 $100,238,334 $197,063,333
Miami Marlins $71,903,332 $69,583,642 $78,845,952
Milwaukee Brewers $124,755,400 $108,403,700 $146,389,362
Minnesota Twins $121,276,933 $101,056,933 $134,985,267
New York Mets $158,390,930 $94,483,430 $194,135,003
New York Yankees $140,092,857 $107,200,000 $217,229,075
Oakland Athletics $102,315,833 $94,908,333 $111,851,383
Philadelphia Phillies $140,711,962 $131,152,962 $188,674,782
Pittsburgh Pirates $73,641,002 $64,553,002 $80,685,800
San Diego Padres $100,106,200 $63,991,000 $122,152,233
San Francisco Giants $172,629,652 $151,629,652 $154,539,981
Seattle Mariners $148,898,474 $109,207,510 $153,660,378
St. Louis Cardinals $163,370,266 $125,365,166 $173,190,855
Tampa Bay Rays $64,901,866 $49,112,066 $93,351,867
Texas Rangers $126,575,499 $104,362,499 $128,637,762
Toronto Blue Jays $116,037,171 $60,339,171 $127,594,314
Washington Nationals $161,874,927 $153,918,961 $197,692,076
AVERAGES: $133,659,694 $106,755,141 $147,813,059