We did this for 2008, so we'll revisit this in the coming days. But I was curious how the Astros 09 Opening Day payroll - and percentages - compares to the 2008 payroll. Like I said, eventually we'll get in to how the Astros payroll compares to the rest of the League. But for now, let's be self-centered and look at ourselves.
Total Payroll:
2008: $94.3054 million
2009: $97.885 million (up 3.7% - and you thought Run-DMc was cheapskating you)
Before we get started, let's just get it out there that Roy, Lance, Miggs and Carlos make 61.3% of the Astros' OD09 payroll. That's Exhibit A in The Houston Astros Baseball Club v. A 90-Loss Season.
Relievers:
2009: $17.824 million (18.2% of total payroll)
LaHawk's $3.5 million contract is by far the most crooked (meaning "out of line with other contracts," not "ill-gotten") of the Astros' relief corps. If everything goes right, LaHawk will make five times as much as Russ Ortiz, and pitch about 130 fewer innings.
Starters:
2009: $21.65 million (22.1%)
Obviously, Roy's $14 million takes up a huge chunk of this.
For whatever reason, I didn't separate relievers from starters last season. So the total money spent on pitchers.
2008: $33.557 million (35.6% of total 2008 payroll)
2009: $39.474 million (40.3% of total payroll)
Infielders:
2008: $43.6614 million (46.3%)
2009: $34.4275 million (35.2%)
Outfielders:
2008: $14.292 million (15.2%)
2009: $21.8735 million (22.3%)
There is a $16.75 million difference between Carlos Lee and Darin Erstad, the next highest-paid outfielder. Lee's $6.5 million bump makes up your difference here. Anyone else worried about what happens to payroll when Hunter Pence is due for some big money, and Carlos Lee still gets $18.5 million?
Catchers:
2008: $2.75 million (2.9%)
2009: $2.11 million (2.2%)
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
