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Fangraphs has the Cards at $177 million, which ties for 10th out of 30 teams in MLB. The top 10 –
Mets – $307 million
Yankees – $279 million
Dodgers – $268 million
Phillies – $237 million
Braves – $228 million
Astros – $222 million
Blue Jays – $219 million
Rangers – $212 million
Cubs – $178 million
Red Sox – $177 million
Cardinals – $177 millionSeems like the Cardinals are right in line. Especially for the size of market.
I could see where some think that way but I don’t. First off if we were talking over a decade ago or more, yea you might be right. But 177 million today isn’t what it was then. So in my eyes we are a good bit low. Probably need to be in 200 million range. Secondly I believe fan support not market size should determine more. The Cardinals are consistently near the top in that despite their market. And usually regardless of being mentioned as a favorite to win it all. Sure being consistently in contention for playoffs has helped those numbers but it’s not the only factor. One just need to look at a team like the Baltimore Orioles who had a great team last year coming off a season in which they showed lots of promise and still didn’t draw great numbers at home and I’m pretty sure that’s a fairly big market. So their payroll right now I don’t feel is that in line with trying to win. Now the division is as always weak right now so who knows, maybe it’s enough just to get a show up medal. I kind of doubt it but one can’t really say for sure.
Way too early to be making conclusions on payroll with half of the free agent class still unsigned and trades that will still be made. My guess is that the Cardinals will be lower than 10th by the time March rolls around. I usually post figures from Cot’s around March 1. By the way, Cot’s has switched to using the 40 man payroll figures instead of the 26 man payroll.
I agree that 10th would be about right, but I also agree with gscottar that the Cards will end up lower than 10th. They look better right now because they acted early. But they seem to be about done spending, while a lot of good talent has yet to find homes.
The problem is they can’t sign any more replacement level players. For their philosophy to work, they have to leave attainable jobs for the internal options they already possess.
This leaves them hoping a Montgomery, Hader, Hicks, or Neris falls into their laps, or a significant trade which is a whole even more complex challenge.
We are angered by dry powder, but powder ain’t money. You don’t just spend it. You plan and devise a mechanism for making it benefit your purposes with maximum effect, and their are no second tries or replacement kegs of powder.
That makes inaction seem like a much more reasonable path to follow at this point.It sounds like the budget is frozen. Must be because of Bally’s.
https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/bill-dewitt-iii-discusses-cardinals-payroll-offseason-signings
In the latest edition of the “Cardinals Beat” newsletter, #STLCards president Bill DeWitt III sheds some light on the parameters that will dictate whether his club adds more pitching pieces to the rotation before the start of Spring Training.
Subscribe: https://t.co/174GoGePDL pic.twitter.com/9wg82WvDrm
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) January 8, 2024
“Look, I think we’re always open to improving our club within reason, but, you know, we’ve already made some big moves,” said DeWitt, whose club had a $186.4 million payroll in 2023 and one that could approach $200 million in 2024, according to Spotrac.
Those numbers represent the CBT numbers, which include 40 man spending, bonuses, IL spending, player benefits, etc…. not just payroll. The Cardinals 2024 40 man payroll currently sits around $173M. It is important to compare apples to apples.
The 2023 40 Man payroll ended up at $176M so no they haven’t increased payroll from last year yet.
Way too early to be making conclusions on payroll…
I also agree with gscottar that the Cards will end up lower than 10th.
For sure. Reminds me of George Carlin’s routine as a sportscaster. “And this partial score just in. Pittsburgh 5.”
Well this puts an end to any fantasies about Kershaw popping up in St. Louis wearing a Cardinal uniform.
I have a feeling that at the bottom of this you’d find that season ticket sales are considerably down going in to 2024.
The Dodgers are the only organization that acted like a big pig hogging everything it laid it’s eyes on.
The Phillies got somewhat carried away, but no other organization did. As a result there are still a lot of big names still available.
Here’s a few top free agents still not signed:
Snell
Montgomery
Hader
Bellinger
ChapmanThere are many more very good free agents still not signed with spring training only a month away.
The only reason that I can think of that makes so many players still available is price, although in years past, price did not stop teams from paying up. It’s hard to imagine that the owners and their front offices have gotten smarter after so many years of being demonstrably stupid and greedy, so they must be feeling the squeeze from their fan bases.
Well dewitt said they are pretty much done far as adding payroll, which means they didn’t really add payroll this year. So if they end up in the same place, it won’t really be any surprise. But you can always hope until you can’t.
The problem isn’t the owner not spending enough. The problem is the owner having to buy essentially everything, including stuff the system should have produced like bottom or rotation starters and pen guys able to handle some leverage. And probably a catcher since they had plenty of time. Haven’t produced a middle of the order hitter since Pujols, so that is costing $50 Million this year. What is the player development system doing exactly? Supplying the complementary pieces? I do not blame BDW for capping what Mo can spend to dig himself out of his own mess.
I guess the 7mil of reclaimed salaries at the last seasons deadline got pocketed. It didn’t get tagged on to this seasons budget.
Complimentary pieces? C’mon. Six of the nine starting position players are home grown. I bet there aren’t many teams that can say that. But, they took their eye off pitching drafting and development and are now paying for it. But more paying for it in the standings than paying for it in big contracts.
Why some are in denial about the Cardinals payroll slipping in relation to their competition amazes me. The facts are there. The Cards are losing ground in spending and results yet some let ownership off the hook. They could spend more to put a true contending team on the field, but they feel they don’t have to.
Last I checked, scouting and player development report to the owners, too. If he/they were unhappy about them, they would make major changes. Yet they have not. Maybe Bloom will be a change agent. Maybe not, but it relieves some pressure on the front office and buys them time.
P.S. I want to clarify what I mean regrading “spending”. It isn’t just the 40-man roster. Others have written about new innovations like pitching labs that the Cardinals talked about but didn’t fully follow though on. They are said to have lower staffing levels in player development compared to other organizations, etc.
The Cardinals are projecting a significant payroll drop this season.
* $165M down from $177.5M.
* $165M vs. VEB's $192M budget projections.
That's a bigger drop than Cot's Contracts shows in the post-COVID purge.What the heck happened?https://t.co/pPezUiIWYG
— viva el birdos (@vivaelbirdos) January 10, 2024
I think it’s shameful for them to backload deals, like Sonny Gray, then say, well the luxury tax payroll is still reflected at $15M higher.
Same as the money received from Colorado for Arenado. Mgmt is intentionally misleading when they say that $5M for this year isn’t a part of the 2024 payroll.
This is different than deferring salary. Why publicly talk about payrolls in the 180s, when you are really paying $167.4M.
To put it in as positive of a light as possible, of course. People who don’t look into it accept it without understanding its nuances.
Well, I never thought of that before but the owners really are on top of things. If you finish in last place, lower the payroll. That’ll solve everything and the best part of it and I’m sure they’ve thought of this, is that they can’t finish any lower than last so we can’t be worse than last year!
The Cardinals were also 4th in Major League attendance behind the Dodgers, Yankees and Padres at 3.24 million people…they seem to be worried about the RSN deal with Bally’s (diamond sports group) but The Rangers are in a similar perilous situation with Diamond sports group on there RSN deal and yet they spent $35 million more on payroll last year than the Cardinals and averaged 2.53 million fans.
Fourth in attendance is not bad at all and they ought to be worried after insulting fans with the lousy product that they served up on the field last season. It was almost as bad as the lousy product that Arby’s serves up on the table that they claim is a roast beef sandwich. Go figure…
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