O's 7th most valuable franchise (2013)

[AlbionHero]

There is far too much uncertainty about the MASN case to spend lots of money right now.

[fearthenoodle]

But I think most teams will increase in 2015. There's a lot of money floating around MLB these days.

Per BB-ref, the Orioles were 13th of 30 teams in payroll last year, so they are already in the top half. They were about $20 mm behind the 10th and 11th highest teams. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2014-misc.shtml

It will surprise me a bit if the Orioles move up more than one spot, given the gap and the identity of the teams that occupy the next tier:

6. Nats $137 mm

7. Jays $136 mm

8. Red Sox $135 mm

9. Cards $130 mm

10. Rangers $130 mm

11. Angels $129 mm

12. Brewers $110 mm

13. Orioles $109 mm

Those must be end-of-year payrolls? Opening Day payroll is what you should probably use.

1. LA Dodgers $235,295,219

2. NY Yankees $203,812,506

3. Philadelphia Phillies $180,052,723

4. Boston Red Sox $162,817,411

5. Detroit Tigers $162,228,527

6. LA Angels $155,692,000

7. San Francisco Giants $154,185,878

8. Texas Rangers $136,036,172

9. Washington Nationals $134,704,437

10. Toronto Blue Jays $132,628,700

11. Arizona Diamondbacks $112,688,666

12. Cincinnati Reds $112,390,772

13. St. Louis Cardinals $111,020,360

14. Atlanta Braves $110,897,341

15. Baltimore Orioles $107,406,623

16. Milwaukee Brewers $103,844,806

17. Colorado Rockies $95,832,071

18. Seattle Mariners $92,081,943

19. Kansas City Royals $92,034,345

20. Chicago White Sox $91,159,254

21. San Diego Padres $90,094,196

22. NY Mets $89,051,758

23. Chicago Cubs $89,007,857

24. Minnesota Twins $85,776,500

25. Oakland A's $83,401,400

26. Cleveland Indians $82,534,800

27. Pittsburgh Pirates $78,111,667

28. Tampa Bay Rays $77,062,891

29. Miami Marlins $47,565,400

30. Houston Astros $44,544,174

LINK

[MurphDogg]

Those must be end-of-year payrolls? Opening Day payroll is what you should probably use.

Doesn't end of the season payroll tell a more complete story?

[fearthenoodle]

There is far too much uncertainty about the MASN case to spend lots of money right now.

I don't know why this is really hard for people to understand. If the Nats/MLB were to win the dispute, the Orioles/MASN would owe somewhere around $300MM, I believe.

[fearthenoodle]

Doesn't end of the season payroll tell a more complete story?

I don't really think so.

[Capn Vivi]

I hope someone before me mentioned the MASN dispute.

Good golly some people on this board will not rest until they can identify Peter Angelos as some malevolent Scrooge McDuck.

[AlbionHero]

I don't know why this is really hard for people to understand. If the Nats/MLB were to win the dispute, the Orioles/MASN would owe somewhere around $300MM, I believe.

Once this is all settled (hopefully in the O's favor), I'm sure we'll start seeing more spending. But now, there is just too much question about how much money they truly will have to spend in the future.

[MurphDogg]

I don't really think so.

Isn't the goal to determine which teams spent the most on players? Isn't that goal better served by looking at how much each team spent after they spent it?

[fearthenoodle]

Isn't the goal to determine which teams spent the most on players? Isn't that goal better served by looking at how much each team spent after they spent it?

Is it really accurate to say that Boston spent $136MM, which backs out all the Lester, Lackey, Miller, etc. money that other teams assumed after trades? Circumstances change once the season starts, and teams may cut bait to save money if they aren't in it, or open the wallet a little wider if they see a window of opportunity.

Budgets, though, are usually set during the off-season. And the OD payroll, imo, is generally a more accurate reflection of what every team was willing to allocate to payroll in an effort to put their best team on the field heading into the next season.

[OsLuvrInKy]

Gross. She's the same age as my mom.

Son all I can say is google the word MILF because this woman is the epitome of that phrase.

[hoosiers]

And the only thing our ownership has done better over the last three years has been to put a team on the field that has won more games than three of those four teams.

This has nothing to do with investment in our amateur talent while DD depletes the farm system and our draft picks to compete or putting our payroll at an appropriate level.

[BradyBunch]

Our ownership has been clearing $50M-$60+M the past several years given the MASN $, increased attendance, higher national TV contract, hosting several playoff games, etc.

Our ownership has a majority share of the local TV rights to two MLB franchises.

Our ownership is laughing all the way to the bank while fielding an average payroll at best and absolutely zero participation in the high $, posting international talent (while small market teams like Cincinnati, Minnesota and Oakland do participate).

Math isn't forte is it?

$50-$60m? your kidding right? Let me show you how you are wrong here.

We'll start with "increased attendance".. Attendance over the last for years has been a total 700,000. Translates to 150,000 increase per year since 2011. Not big increases considering 350,000 of increase came from 2011-2012. It's leveled out to about 100,000 a year increase per year. Problem you fail to calculate for is the fact Maryland and Baltimore takes 7% of all net ticket sales, 50% of parking, 10% of concessions, 25% of the advertising revenues and 7-to-10% of suite and club-level admissions.

Parking and Advertising is the money maker for teams. Not ticket sales or Concessions.

National TV contract hasn't reached it top payout yet and will be years before it actually pays out the full $25m per year. It's a scaling deal.

MLB takes 15% of all revenue from playoff games. Then 60% goes to the players pool. Then what's left over is split between the teams.

MASN is the question.. but there is no way the Angelos are cashing in what you think they are.. we know this because MASN has gone to court over the fees given to Nats.

[MurphDogg]

Is it really accurate to say that Boston spent $136MM, which backs out all the Lester, Lackey, Miller, etc. money that other teams assumed after trades?

Of course it is. Because Boston spent $136M.

[Frobby]

Those must be end-of-year payrolls? Opening Day payroll is what you should probably use.

LINK

Doesn't end of the season payroll tell a more complete story?

I don't really think so.

Isn't the goal to determine which teams spent the most on players? Isn't that goal better served by looking at how much each team spent after they spent it?

Is it really accurate to say that Boston spent $136MM, which backs out all the Lester, Lackey, Miller, etc. money that other teams assumed after trades? Circumstances change once the season starts, and teams may cut bait to save money if they aren't in it, or open the wallet a little wider if they see a window of opportunity.

Budgets, though, are usually set during the off-season. And the OD payroll, imo, is generally a more accurate reflection of what every team was willing to allocate to payroll in an effort to put their best team on the field heading into the next season.

Of course it is. Because Boston spent $136M.

I can see it either way. In any event, it's not like the lists are that different. The O's are 13th on one and 15th on the other. They are $20 mm behind 10th place on one and $25 mm on the other. Either way, the O's have a middle-class payroll and it's doubtful that's changing in 2015 even if they might move up a notch or two.

[ledzepp8]

Is this serious? I don't see it happening.

Why not? They were 15th at the beginning of last season and only about $5 million from the 11th highest team. So they were already in the top half and I don't see it out of the realm of possibility that they will continue to spend. They've obviously been trending upwards in payroll.