It’s been awhile since I updated this, so I decided to crunch some numbers with my morning coffee. Here are the Yankees’ payroll obligations for 2004 and beyond. Much of the info comes from the MLB Contracts Page which hasn’t been updated in quite awhile. I’ve done the best I could do to raid the various news sources for yearly breakdowns of this winter’s signings (Yahoo! Sports Canada was especially helpful), and was able to find such information for everybody except Tom Gordon.
All amounts (except where indicated) are actual dollars rather than averages over the life of the deal (without deferrals), although signing bonuses have been prorated according to the best information available. Parentheses denote players no longer with the team whose salaries the Yankees are paying, at least in part. An “m” after the amount denotes a minor-league deal, which has been included in the total although it’s not guaranteed. When two figures are separated by a “/” that means the club holds an option with a buyout; year-by-year totals include those buyouts and not the optional salaries.
2004: Jeter $18, Brown $15, Mussina $14, Sheffield $13, Williams $12, Giambi $10, Contreras $9, Posada $9, Vazquez $9, Rivera $8.89, Matsui $7, Soriano $5.4, Karsay $5, Gordon $3.625-est, Lofton $3.1, Quantrill $3, (Weaver $2.6), Lieber $2.45, Henson $2.2, Heredia $1.8, (Hammond $1.2), A. Hernandez $1.0, Sierra $1.0, Cairo $0.9, Houston $0.9-m, Flaherty, $0.775, Clark $0.75, Wilson $0.7, Bragg $0.4-m Total: $161.69 million
Not included: Boone ($5.75, likely to be terminated), White (arbitration), Bush (minor league deal)2005: Jeter $19, Mussina $17, Brown $15, Sheffield $13, Williams $12, Posada $12, Giambi $11, Vazquez $11, Contreras $8, Matsui $8, Lieber $8/$0.25, Karsay $5. Henson $3.8, Gordon $3.625-est, Lofton $3.1, Quantrill $3, Heredia $1.8. Total: $146.575 million
2006: Jeter $20, Giambi $18, Mussina $17, Williams $15/$3.5, Posada $13.5, Sheffield $13, Vazquez $12, Contreras $9, Karsay $6.5/$1.25. Henson $6.0. Quantrill $3.6/0.4, Heredia $2.5/0.2. Total: $113.85 million
Not included: Gordon (option/buyout?)2007: Jeter $21, Giambi $21, Mussina $17/$1.5, Sheffield $13/c.o., Vazquez $13, Posada $12/$4. Total: $60.5 million
Not included: Sheffield (buyout)2008: Jeter $21, Giambi $21. Total: $42 million
2009: Jeter $21, Giambi $22/$5. Total: $26 million
That’s over half a billion dollars ($550.615 million to be exact) in guaranteed payments, with $388.925 million committed beyond 2004. It’s only money…