Tracking Cubs 2008 Payroll

[Ryno12]

Someone needs update the figures with Lieber and and the new Wuertz number included.

[HoopsCubs]

UPDATED January 25, 2008

 

With the news of Jon Lieber signing for $3.5M, and Michael Wuertz signing for $860K, here's the payroll situation:

 

$16M Carlos Zambrano

$14M Alfonso Soriano

$13M Derrek Lee

$15M Aramis Ramirez

$8M Ted Lilly

$5.833M Ryan Dempster (Free agent after 2008 season)

$6.375M Jason Marquis

$4.75M Mark DeRosa

$4.5M Bob Howry (Free agent after 2008 season)

$4.133M Scott Eyre-PLAYER OPTION (Free agent after 2008 season)

$3.175M Henry Blanco

$1.2M Darryl Ward

$2.0M CASH sent to Detroit in Jacque Jones trade

$4.2M Kerry Wood

$12M Kosuke Fukudome

$800K Neal Cotts

$860K Michael Wuertz

$3.5M Jon Lieber

 

To-date, the Cubs have 17 players under contract with an obligation of $119.3M.

 

Taking it one step further: assuming the following 7 signings (all league minimum):

 

$0.415M Ryan Theriot

$0.415M Felix Pie

$0.415M Geovany Soto

$0.415M Matt Murton

$0.415M Rich Hill

$0.415M Carlos Marmol

$0.415M Kevin Hart

 

That's another $2.9M.

 

So, the Cubs would now have 24 players at $122.2M.

 

Depending on payroll (either $120M as reported by Mr. Miles or $125M as reported by Mr. Levine), the Cubs should have somewhere between needing to shed $2.2M and an opportunity to spend $2.8M.

 

With extra pitchers like Marshall, Lahey and Pignatiello still in the running for a role, it seems apparent the Cubs will pull out all stops to move an arm or two (Marshall, Marquis and Cotts seem like the top 2 to go).

 

On the position player side, it appears the Cubs still need to make up their mind on what to do with the following:

 

- back-up middle infielder (Cedeno, Patterson, Fontenot are internal options; Theriot could be this player if the Cubs acquire a SS; DeRosa could be this player if the Cubs acquire a 2B)

 

- centerfielder (right-handed hitting if Pie starts or if Fuld starts/Pie is dealt, or left-handed hitting).

 

 

Hoops

[YearofDaCubs]

Neal Cotts is getting paid 800k? Wouldn't it be wise just to waive him and not pay?

[craig]

UPDATED January 25, 2008

With the news of Jon Lieber signing for $3.5M, and Michael Wuertz signing for $860K, here's the payroll situation: ...

 

So, the Cubs would now have 24 players at $122.2M.

 

Depending on payroll (either $120M as reported by Mr. Miles or $125M as reported by Mr. Levine), the Cubs should have somewhere between needing to shed $2.2M and an opportunity to spend $2.8M.

 

With extra pitchers like Marshall, Lahey and Pignatiello still in the running for a role, it seems apparent the Cubs will pull out all stops to move an arm or two (Marshall, Marquis and Cotts seem like the top 2 to go)....

 

Hoops

 

Cubs are currently at $115.8 for 24 guys (short one outfielder) if I include: a) Trachsel's $0.1 buyout, b) Jones at $1.33, and c) full $12 of Fukudome deal. [Cots has no Fukudome details. His deal could perhaps be frontloaded by a signing bonus, or backloaded as was done with Marquis and Lilly. Backloading is somewhat more likely.]

 

So it looks at worst like they are committed to paying out about $114-116.

 

To use your quote, 'Depending on payroll (either $120M as reported by Mr. Miles or $125M as reported by Mr. Levine), the Cubs should have..." a fair bit of space. Fitting in Roberts does not appear to be a problem.

 

"With extra pitchers like Marshall, Lahey and Pignatiello still in the running for a role, it seems apparent the Cubs will pull out all stops to move an arm or two (Marshall, Marquis and Cotts seem like the top 2 to go)...." Hoops

 

In my view the Cubs have no budgetary need to move Marquis or any other salaried pitcher. They may move pitching, salaried or not, for baseball reasons. But I don't see any budget pressure for that. If anything, they seem to have so much budget leeway that they can likely afford to not only pick up Roberts (without including a salaried guy in return) as well as a salaried RH CF/OF (a Byrd-type salary would not blow the budget even if we did add Roberts). Were they to do both of those things plus acquire a bigger ticket like Burnett, then I think they'd need to move some salary or else exceed $130.

 

My analysis again assumes that Cubs usually talk about expenditures in real time, rather than prorating signing bonus expenditures that were paid out before last season began.