Really Shitty Thread Title of 2011-2012 Cubs Offseason

[Tonker]

Baseball Reference have the following 2012 payroll estimates on their front page:

AL

NYY $205.8M
BOS $170.6M
LAA $159.1M
DET $134.3M
TEX $118.4M
CHW $114.2M
MIN $108.4M
SEA $97.8M
BAL $97.0M
TOR $84.1M
CLE $74.6M
KCR $69.1M
TBR $68.4M
OAK $57.4M

NL

PHI $179.5M
SFG $139.7M
STL $118.7M
MIL $115.8M
CHC $112.9M
FLA $110.0M
NYM $106.2M
LAD $103.4M
ATL $101.8M
COL $98.2M
CIN $91.2M
WSN $88.5M
ARI $85.4M
HOU $75.6M
SDP $64.0M
PIT $61.7M

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

[PenPho]

Baseball Reference have the following 2012 payroll estimates on their front page:

AL

NYY $205.8M
BOS $170.6M
LAA $159.1M
DET $134.3M
TEX $118.4M
CHW $114.2M
MIN $108.4M
SEA $97.8M
BAL $97.0M
TOR $84.1M
CLE $74.6M
KCR $69.1M
TBR $68.4M
OAK $57.4M

NL

PHI $179.5M
SFG $139.7M
STL $118.7M
MIL $115.8M
CHC $112.9M
FLA $110.0M
NYM $106.2M
LAD $103.4M
ATL $101.8M
COL $98.2M
CIN $91.2M
WSN $88.5M
ARI $85.4M
HOU $75.6M
SDP $64.0M
PIT $61.7M

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

This is the only one that's surprising to me, I'm not sure how that shakes out. I know Braun got the big extension last year, but I though they had a relatively modest payroll otherwise.

In terms of the others, they all seem pretty much in line.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

This is the only one that's surprising to me, I'm not sure how that shakes out. I know Braun got the big extension last year, but I though they had a relatively modest payroll otherwise.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=71

Greinke: $13.5 mm
Weeks: $10 mm
Wolf: $9.5 mm
Corey: $9 mm
KRod: $8 mm
Marcum: $7.725 mm
Braun: $6 mm
Pancakes: $6 mm
Gallardo: $5.5 mm
Other Alex Gonzalez: $4.25 mm
Nyjer: $2.35 mm
Veras: $2 mm
KLoe: $2.175 mm
Other CarGo: $1.9625 mm
Parra: $1.2 mm

[PenPho]

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

This is the only one that's surprising to me, I'm not sure how that shakes out. I know Braun got the big extension last year, but I though they had a relatively modest payroll otherwise.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=71

Greinke: $13.5 mm
Weeks: $10 mm
Wolf: $9.5 mm
Corey: $9 mm
KRod: $8 mm
Marcum: $7.725 mm
Braun: $6 mm
Pancakes: $6 mm
Gallardo: $5.5 mm
Other Alex Gonzalez: $4.25 mm
Nyjer: $2.35 mm
Veras: $2 mm
KLoe: $2.175 mm
Other CarGo: $1.9625 mm
Parra: $1.2 mm

Nothing blatantly unreasonable there, other than maybe having an $8mm set-up guy, but they knew that prior to the trade last year. 

[Slaky]

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

This is the only one that's surprising to me, I'm not sure how that shakes out. I know Braun got the big extension last year, but I though they had a relatively modest payroll otherwise.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=71

Greinke: $13.5 mm
Weeks: $10 mm
Wolf: $9.5 mm
Corey: $9 mm
KRod: $8 mm
Marcum: $7.725 mm
Braun: $6 mm
Pancakes: $6 mm
Gallardo: $5.5 mm
Other Alex Gonzalez: $4.25 mm
Nyjer: $2.35 mm
Veras: $2 mm
KLoe: $2.175 mm
Other CarGo: $1.9625 mm
Parra: $1.2 mm

Nothing blatantly unreasonable there, other than maybe having an $8mm set-up guy, but they knew that prior to the trade last year. 

9.5mm for Wolf is a bit of a how's your father.

[Fork]

Does that Cubs number include the $16MM they're paying Zambrano to pitch for the Marlins?

[Sterling Archer]

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

This is the only one that's surprising to me, I'm not sure how that shakes out. I know Braun got the big extension last year, but I though they had a relatively modest payroll otherwise.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=71

Greinke: $13.5 mm
Weeks: $10 mm
Wolf: $9.5 mm
Corey: $9 mm
KRod: $8 mm
Marcum: $7.725 mm
Braun: $6 mm
Pancakes: $6 mm
Gallardo: $5.5 mm
Other Alex Gonzalez: $4.25 mm
Nyjer: $2.35 mm
Veras: $2 mm
KLoe: $2.175 mm
Other CarGo: $1.9625 mm
Parra: $1.2 mm

Nothing blatantly unreasonable there, other than maybe having an $8mm set-up guy, but they knew that prior to the trade last year. 

Nitpicking, but he wasn't set to make 8MM this year when the trade was made. He was going to be a free agent after last season. They offered arb, he realized there wasn't much of a market and accepted, then they agreed to terms right before the arb hearing.

[PenPho]

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

This is the only one that's surprising to me, I'm not sure how that shakes out. I know Braun got the big extension last year, but I though they had a relatively modest payroll otherwise.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=71

Greinke: $13.5 mm
Weeks: $10 mm
Wolf: $9.5 mm
Corey: $9 mm
KRod: $8 mm
Marcum: $7.725 mm
Braun: $6 mm
Pancakes: $6 mm
Gallardo: $5.5 mm
Other Alex Gonzalez: $4.25 mm
Nyjer: $2.35 mm
Veras: $2 mm
KLoe: $2.175 mm
Other CarGo: $1.9625 mm
Parra: $1.2 mm

Nothing blatantly unreasonable there, other than maybe having an $8mm set-up guy, but they knew that prior to the trade last year. 

Nitpicking, but he wasn't set to make 8MM this year when the trade was made. He was going to be a free agent after last season. They offered arb, he realized there wasn't much of a market and accepted, then they agreed to terms right before the arb hearing.

Didn't he have an option that they knew he'd pick up?

Am I misremembering?

[Eli]

Does that Cubs number include the $16MM they're paying Zambrano to pitch for the Marlins?

Yes.

[Slaky]

Does that Cubs number include the $16MM they're paying Zambrano to pitch for the Marlins?

Yes.

On the score this morning, Gordo said the payroll is currently about 89 million.

[Gilgamesh]

Does that Cubs number include the $16MM they're paying Zambrano to pitch for the Marlins?

Yes.

On the score this morning, Gordo said the payroll is currently about 89 million.

I heard that too; of the players in uniform for the Cubs, it's 89 MM.

[Sterling Archer]

Anybody else surprised by what DET, TEX, CHW, MIN, PHI, SFG, MIL (high) and TBR, NYM, CIN (low) are paying?  The phucking Phillies have the second highest payroll in baseball?  The Mets are mid-table now?  Milwaukee sans Prince are spending more than the Cubs?

I need to pay more attention to baseball.

This is the only one that's surprising to me, I'm not sure how that shakes out. I know Braun got the big extension last year, but I though they had a relatively modest payroll otherwise.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=71

Greinke: $13.5 mm
Weeks: $10 mm
Wolf: $9.5 mm
Corey: $9 mm
KRod: $8 mm
Marcum: $7.725 mm
Braun: $6 mm
Pancakes: $6 mm
Gallardo: $5.5 mm
Other Alex Gonzalez: $4.25 mm
Nyjer: $2.35 mm
Veras: $2 mm
KLoe: $2.175 mm
Other CarGo: $1.9625 mm
Parra: $1.2 mm

Nothing blatantly unreasonable there, other than maybe having an $8mm set-up guy, but they knew that prior to the trade last year. 

Nitpicking, but he wasn't set to make 8MM this year when the trade was made. He was going to be a free agent after last season. They offered arb, he realized there wasn't much of a market and accepted, then they agreed to terms right before the arb hearing.

Didn't he have an option that they knew he'd pick up?

Am I misremembering?

You're close. It was a vesting option for 17.5MM based on games finished (holy shit the Mets are idiots), but Milwaukee used him exclusively in a non-closing role. So Boras negotiated a 500k payout to negate that option with hopes he could boost his market value by doing some closing. The thinking was without that option hanging over the team they'd be more likely to let him throw the 9th. They stuck with Axford instead.

[CBStew]

They owe Bobby Bonilla until 2035