Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Welcome to STLtoday.com's forum for fans of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Moderators: STLtoday Forum Moderators, Cards Talk Moderators

Post Reply
RunSup
Forum User
Posts: 3128
Joined: 07 Dec 2022 19:08 pm

Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by RunSup »

Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
hugeCardfan
Forum User
Posts: 1666
Joined: 23 May 2024 12:42 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by hugeCardfan »

RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Red Bird Classic
Forum User
Posts: 561
Joined: 23 May 2024 12:52 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by Red Bird Classic »

hugeCardfan wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:11 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Baseball desperately needs TV-money revenue sharing.

I know I sound like Johnny one note, but there it is...again.
RunSup
Forum User
Posts: 3128
Joined: 07 Dec 2022 19:08 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by RunSup »

Red Bird Classic wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:14 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:11 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Baseball desperately needs TV-money revenue sharing.

I know I sound like Johnny one note, but there it is...again.
Yep and Yep.

Owners agree to revenue sharing first. Then they can approach the players about salary caps and floors.
Cranny
Forum User
Posts: 5121
Joined: 24 May 2024 09:26 am

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by Cranny »

RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:21 pm
Red Bird Classic wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:14 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:11 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Baseball desperately needs TV-money revenue sharing.

I know I sound like Johnny one note, but there it is...again.
Yep and Yep.

Owners agree to revenue sharing first. Then they can approach the players about salary caps and floors.
Not according to Harper.
RunSup
Forum User
Posts: 3128
Joined: 07 Dec 2022 19:08 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by RunSup »

Cranny wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:44 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:21 pm
Red Bird Classic wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:14 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:11 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Baseball desperately needs TV-money revenue sharing.

I know I sound like Johnny one note, but there it is...again.
Yep and Yep.

Owners agree to revenue sharing first. Then they can approach the players about salary caps and floors.
Not according to Harper.
:lol:

Ok don't go into the clubhouse on game day with contract talk. Important safety tip.

Also don't cross the streams.
cardsfaninla
Forum User
Posts: 1022
Joined: 23 May 2024 19:14 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by cardsfaninla »

RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:51 pm
Cranny wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:44 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:21 pm
Red Bird Classic wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:14 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:11 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Baseball desperately needs TV-money revenue sharing.

I know I sound like Johnny one note, but there it is...again.
Yep and Yep.

Owners agree to revenue sharing first. Then they can approach the players about salary caps and floors.
Not according to Harper.
:lol:

Ok don't go into the clubhouse on game day with contract talk. Important safety tip.

Also don't cross the streams.
No offense intended, but didn't crossing the streams end up saving us all from the monster marshmallow man?
ICCFIM2
Forum User
Posts: 458
Joined: 23 May 2024 14:24 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by ICCFIM2 »

RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:21 pm
Red Bird Classic wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:14 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:11 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm Saw some comments on GDT laughing difference in roster quality between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Obviously the payroll difference is laughable. But sheesh,...

Dodgers Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles ... s/overview

Cardinals Payroll: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/overview

Team Rankings: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tax

The Dodgers actual payroll is $407M. 1st in the league.

The Cardinals actual payroll is $154M. 19th in the league. (Should be closer to 11th historically.)

The Dodgers are paying $157M in Competitive Balance Tax. The Dodgers are paying more in CBT than the current Cardinals payroll.

8O :cry: :evil:
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Baseball desperately needs TV-money revenue sharing.

I know I sound like Johnny one note, but there it is...again.
Yep and Yep.

Owners agree to revenue sharing first. Then they can approach the players about salary caps and floors.
There were some specific rules with respect to how many owners needed to agree to something before that was there position. I thought it was something like if 6 owners objected, it would not get through. If you look at how many have teams there are, LAD, NYY, NYM, BOS, SDP, CHIC, PHA, HOU, it is hard to see how the owners will agree on a salary cap, much less the players. These 8 teams, plus maybe TOR and TEX have such a large competitive advantage over everyone else, why would they give it up?

Personally, I am shocked by how rapidly the top salaries have ramped up. It was just a few short years ago we had the first $40M players. Those were for the most part short term contracts other than the Mike Trout contract. Now we have $60-70M contracts. I just didn't see that ramping up that quickly. I am guessing quite a few of the other owners did not either. Unfortunately, that has trapped the have nots and given the players the upper hand in negotiations.

The only thing I think the have nots and the owners might negotiate is an international draft. That should help prevent all the top Japanese talent ending up with 1 or 2 teams. Second, they may get higher luxury taxes. The top teams don't seem to care. The players can then try to use that to negotiate a floor, which the have owners will likely want anyway. But, I don't think any of that will help any of the teams not in the top 10 or so.
RunSup
Forum User
Posts: 3128
Joined: 07 Dec 2022 19:08 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by RunSup »

cardsfaninla wrote: 05 Aug 2025 23:21 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:51 pm
Cranny wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:44 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:21 pm
Red Bird Classic wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:14 pm
hugeCardfan wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:11 pm
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:06 pm...Snip...
To me, that's just what's wrong with baseball. Can't tax shame a team with their largesse. It just doesn't hurt enough.
Baseball desperately needs TV-money revenue sharing.

I know I sound like Johnny one note, but there it is...again.
Yep and Yep.

Owners agree to revenue sharing first. Then they can approach the players about salary caps and floors.
Not according to Harper.
:lol:

Ok don't go into the clubhouse on game day with contract talk. Important safety tip.

Also don't cross the streams.
No offense intended, but didn't crossing the streams end up saving us all from the monster marshmallow man?
Oh man. Good point. Ok. Go ahead and cross the streams.
RunSup
Forum User
Posts: 3128
Joined: 07 Dec 2022 19:08 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by RunSup »

ICCFIM2 wrote: 06 Aug 2025 01:08 am
RunSup wrote: 05 Aug 2025 22:21 pm ... Snip...

Owners agree to revenue sharing first. Then they can approach the players about salary caps and floors.
There were some specific rules with respect to how many owners needed to agree to something before that was there position. I thought it was something like if 6 owners objected, it would not get through. If you look at how many have teams there are, LAD, NYY, NYM, BOS, SDP, CHIC, PHA, HOU, it is hard to see how the owners will agree on a salary cap, much less the players. These 8 teams, plus maybe TOR and TEX have such a large competitive advantage over everyone else, why would they give it up?

Personally, I am shocked by how rapidly the top salaries have ramped up. It was just a few short years ago we had the first $40M players. Those were for the most part short term contracts other than the Mike Trout contract. Now we have $60-70M contracts. I just didn't see that ramping up that quickly. I am guessing quite a few of the other owners did not either. Unfortunately, that has trapped the have nots and given the players the upper hand in negotiations.

The only thing I think the have nots and the owners might negotiate is an international draft. That should help prevent all the top Japanese talent ending up with 1 or 2 teams. Second, they may get higher luxury taxes. The top teams don't seem to care. The players can then try to use that to negotiate a floor, which the have owners will likely want anyway. But, I don't think any of that will help any of the teams not in the top 10 or so.
There the rub. Will the owners agree to anything they need to do. Or just try and make it look like it's all the players fault.

Plenty examples of other league's successfully implementing sharing, floors and caps. But I'd say it's just likely that nothing significant gets done and the spiral continues
RunSup
Forum User
Posts: 3128
Joined: 07 Dec 2022 19:08 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by RunSup »

It was also pointed out in GDT that 2 of the teams with most wins right now are ranked 18th and 20th right now in payroll. The Tigers and Brewers.

So, It's possible to compete if you are smart. But tanks and rebuilds are part of the equation. Also you can't buy your way out of being stupid.

The slack you have to cover mistakes is much shorter. E.g. The Dodgers have $67M if their payroll committed to players in the DL right now. That would kill smaller teams seasons.
Voldemort
Forum User
Posts: 3848
Joined: 06 Aug 2022 18:21 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by Voldemort »

RunSup wrote: 06 Aug 2025 06:40 am It was also pointed out in GDT that 2 of the teams with most wins right now are ranked 18th and 20th right now in payroll. The Tigers and Brewers.

So, It's possible to compete if you are smart. But tanks and rebuilds are part of the equation. Also you can't buy your way out of being stupid.

The slack you have to cover mistakes is much shorter. E.g. The Dodgers have $67M if their payroll committed to players in the DL right now. That would kill smaller teams seasons.
If the Cardinals are 19th, then some people need to be fired for this debacle.
sikeston bulldog2
Forum User
Posts: 13069
Joined: 11 Aug 2023 16:20 pm

Re: Dodgers vs Cardinals payroll

Post by sikeston bulldog2 »

RunSup wrote: 06 Aug 2025 06:40 am It was also pointed out in GDT that 2 of the teams with most wins right now are ranked 18th and 20th right now in payroll. The Tigers and Brewers.

So, It's possible to compete if you are smart. But tanks and rebuilds are part of the equation. Also you can't buy your way out of being stupid.

The slack you have to cover mistakes is much shorter. E.g. The Dodgers have $67M if their payroll committed to players in the DL right now. That would kill smaller teams seasons.
It is possible to compete. You pointed that out. Yet if all else holds, that would be only 1/6 th of the post season. Still tough for the lowest to compete.
Post Reply