According to Cots, the Sox are at 156m for 2014 payroll, up 2m from 154m in 2013, down from 175m in 2012 (164m in 2011; 168m in 2010).
Thus, though not widely discussed, not only did the FO put together the WS champs last year, they shaved 20m off the payroll in the process. Hopefully that was good for a healthy year end bonus.
Cots has the 2015 payroll obligations at 79m, for 8 guys: Napoli, Pedroia, Victorino, Ortiz, Buchholz, Lackey, Breslow and Mujica. With these 8 signed, and the pre FA kids, the Sox could field a 2015 team next year something along these lines:
C Vazquez + Swihart or short term vet placeholder
1b Napoli
2b Pedroia
3b Holt + WMB +/- Cecchini
SS Bogaerts
LF Betts + Nava
CF Bradley
RF Victorino
DH Ortiz
SP Lackey
SP Buchholz
SP Workrman
SP DeLaRosa
SP Webster or Ranaudo or Owens or Doubront or Wright
RP Tazawa
RP Breslow
RP Mujica
RP Fill in from the guys who lost the 5th starter job.
I am guessing that the 17 guys without 2015 contracts now (some of whom are arb eligible) won't cost more than around 12m as group.
In the face of this, I see 3 broad general options:
Field a potentially competitive team for approx $91 million, i.e. a stunning one year drop in payroll of $65 million or 40% or so. This would put us around 20 out of 30 teams -- in the range of the Chisox, Padres and Royals.
Or they could supplement the group above with some shorter term Victorino/Napoli type deals for a SP (eg Masterson or Iwakuma) and another OFer (eg Willingham, Denorfia, Melky, N. Cruz), and still comfortably get under 130m.
Alternatively, they could spend 40m on Lester, Koji and Miller in 2015, and another 16-18m on let's say Markakis. still lower the payroll, retain the adored veteran stars, and be prohibitive AL East favourites in 2015 and beyond.
Thus, though not widely discussed, not only did the FO put together the WS champs last year, they shaved 20m off the payroll in the process. Hopefully that was good for a healthy year end bonus.
Cots has the 2015 payroll obligations at 79m, for 8 guys: Napoli, Pedroia, Victorino, Ortiz, Buchholz, Lackey, Breslow and Mujica. With these 8 signed, and the pre FA kids, the Sox could field a 2015 team next year something along these lines:
C Vazquez + Swihart or short term vet placeholder
1b Napoli
2b Pedroia
3b Holt + WMB +/- Cecchini
SS Bogaerts
LF Betts + Nava
CF Bradley
RF Victorino
DH Ortiz
SP Lackey
SP Buchholz
SP Workrman
SP DeLaRosa
SP Webster or Ranaudo or Owens or Doubront or Wright
RP Tazawa
RP Breslow
RP Mujica
RP Fill in from the guys who lost the 5th starter job.
I am guessing that the 17 guys without 2015 contracts now (some of whom are arb eligible) won't cost more than around 12m as group.
In the face of this, I see 3 broad general options:
Field a potentially competitive team for approx $91 million, i.e. a stunning one year drop in payroll of $65 million or 40% or so. This would put us around 20 out of 30 teams -- in the range of the Chisox, Padres and Royals.
Or they could supplement the group above with some shorter term Victorino/Napoli type deals for a SP (eg Masterson or Iwakuma) and another OFer (eg Willingham, Denorfia, Melky, N. Cruz), and still comfortably get under 130m.
Alternatively, they could spend 40m on Lester, Koji and Miller in 2015, and another 16-18m on let's say Markakis. still lower the payroll, retain the adored veteran stars, and be prohibitive AL East favourites in 2015 and beyond.