Fewer people in the stands last season at PNC Park appears to mean fewer dollars allocated by Bob Nutting to Neal Huntington for the Pirates’ player payroll this year.
On the heels of season attendance dropping by 454,000, the Pirates are in line to have the second-lowest payroll among the 30 major league clubs at $71,275,000, according to research by DKPittsburghSports.com, if they do not make any significant roster moves between now and the season opener March 28.
Only the Rays, on course to spend $60 million, would be lower.
The Pirates have $60.425 million committed to 11 players: Francisco Cervelli ($11.5 million), Starling Marte ($10,333,333), Corey Dickerson ($8.5 million), Chris Archer ($7,666,667), Gregory Polanco ($6.1 million), Felipe Vazquez ($4.5 million), Keone Kela ($3.175 million), Jung Ho Kang ($3 million), Lonnie Chisenhall ($2.75 million), Jordan Lyles ($2.05 million), Michael Feliz ($850,000).
Another $1.25 million is owed in 2019 buyouts -- $1 million to Josh Harrison and $250,000 to Kang. Buyouts are generally considered part of the payroll figure in most industry calculations.
The remaining 14 players on the projected opening day roster – none of whom are eligible for salary arbitration --- are likely to make approximately $9.6 million combined.
That adds up to a total of $71.275 million. For comparison sake, each of the other four teams in the National League Central are projected to outspend the Pirates by at least $45 million.
At the end of last season, the Pirates had the fourth-lowest payroll in the majors at $90 million, ahead of the Rays ($66 million), White Sox ($71 million) and Athletics ($76 million).
The bottom five for 2019 are projected to be the Rays, Pirates, Marlins ($82 million), Athletics ($83 million) and Padres ($84 million). The projected top five are the Red Sox ($238 million), Cubs ($211 million), Yankees ($210 million), Nationals ($199 million) and Dodgers ($196 million).
Here is an interesting hypothetical scenario that puts the Pirates’ projected payroll into further context. If they were to pull a shocking move by signing free-agent shortstop Manny Machado and payed him a $35-million salary next season, it would push the payroll to $106 million.
Yet the Pirates would still rank just 22nd out of the 30 clubs.
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