Major League Baseball does not have a salary cap but instead the MLB uses a luxury tax. I am not going to tell you about the luxury tax, I am going to tell you why the MLB needs a salary cap.
Last year’s World Series Champion, the New York Yankees spend lots of money each year on star players. This year they got Randy Winn off of free agency. The Yankees’ spending for the 2010 season is followed:
Position Player 2010 Salary
3B Alex Rodriguez *$32,000,000
SP CC Sabathia $23,000,000
1B Mark Teixeira $22,500,000
SS Derek Jeter $21,000,000
CL Mariano Rivera $15,000,000
2B Robinson Cano $9,000,000
RF Randy Winn $1,100,000
Total Salary $123,600,000
2009 Regular Season Record 103 and 59
Postseason Performance World Series Champion
*Highest paid player in MLB
The exact opposite of the Yankees, the best team, would be the Washington Nationals. If there were a salary cap, then the Nationals would have the same amount of money as the Yankees and would have a chance to get the Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez players that they need to be a good ballclub. Here is the Nationals’ spending for the 2010 season:
Position Player 2010 Salary
3B Ryan Zimmerman $6,250,000
SP **Stephen Strasburg $2,000,000
CF Nyjer Morgan $411,500
Total Salary $8,661,500
2009 Regular Season Record 59 and 103
Postseason Performance Did Not Play
** Rookie; going to make 2,500,000 in 2011 and 3,000,000 in 2012
Last years best team in the regular season was the Dodgers. It was the first year that L.A. would have Manny for the whole season. Here is their spending for the 2010 season:
Position Player 2010 Salary
LF Manny Ramirez $20,000,000
CF Matt Kemp $4,000,000
CL Jonathan Broxton $4,000,000
RF Andre Ethier $3,100,000
1B James Loney $3,100,000
SP Clayton Kershaw $404,000
Total Salary $34,604,000
2009 Regular Season Record 95 and 67
Postseason Performance National League Runner Up
Last year’s NL Champion, the Philadelphia Phillies, could have beaten the Yankees in the World Series, if they spent as much money as New York. Both teams made it to the World Series, but the Phillies used more than half as much as the Yankees did. Here is the spending for the 2010 Phillies going for their 3rd straight appearance in the World Series.
Position Player 2010 Salary
SP Roy Halladay $15,750,000
1B Ryan Howard $15,000,000
2B Chase Utley $15,000,000
CL Brad Lidge $12,000,000
SS Jimmy Rollins $8,500,000
RF Jason Werth $7,000,000
3B Placido Polanco $5,000,000
Total Salary $78,250,000
2009 Regular Season Record 93 and 69
Postseason Performance World Series Runner Up
Last year’s AL runner up, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, spent much less then the Yankees last season. This season they lost many star players including star pitcher, John Lackey and shot stop Chone Figgins to American League teams plus the Mariners gained lots of talent including Cliff Lee. Here is the Angels spending for 2010.
Position Player 2010 Salary
CF Tori Hunter $18,000,000
LF Juan Rivera $4,250,000
2B Maicer Izturis $2,600,000
SS Erik Aybar $2,050,000
2B Howie Kendrick $1,750,000
Total Salary $28,650,000
2009 Regular Season Record 97 and 65
Postseason Performance American League Runner Up
