Guess the White Sox Opening Day Payroll

[South Side Hit Men]

Prior Year White Sox OD Payrolls:

Source

• 2023 $181.2M
• 2022 $193.4M
• 2021 $128.7M
• 2020 $50.2M
• 2019 $88.9M
• 2018 $71.2M
• 2017 $97.8M
• 2016 $114.5M
• 2015 $118.6M
• 2014 $90.1M
• 2013 $118.9M
• 2012 $97.7M
• 2011 $127.8M
• 2010 $103.1M
• 2009 $96.1M
• 2008 $121.2M
• 2007 $108.7M
• 2006 $102.8M
• 2005 $75.2M
• 2004 $65.2M
• 2003 $51.0M
• 2002 $57.1M
• 2001 $65.6M
• 2000 $31.2M

[South Side Hit Men]

Cot’s Contracts lists the current estimated 26 man OD payroll including arbitration estimates at $108.9M, including Leury’s $5.5M 2024 salary. It does not include the following four salaries / buyouts ($7.5M), which I guess go not count for the Luxury Tax, or whatever reasoning or basis Cot’s uses.

Clevinger $4.0M

Hendriks $1.5M

Anderson & Abreu $1.0M each (per Spotrac)

For purposes of this poll, the correct guess / winner will be based on Cot’s Contracts reported Opening Day payroll.

[South Side Hit Men]

Current 2024 OD Payroll: $108.9M

(5 Players Under Contract) $73.7M

1. $24.8M Moncada
2. $17.1M Benintendi
3. $13.8M Jimenez
4. $12.5M Robert Jr.
5. $5.5M Bummer

Arbitration estimates if tendered and retained: (6 Players) $18.6M

1. $8.7M Cease
2. $3.5M Vaughn
3. $3.1M Kopech
4. $1.5M Toussaint
5. $1.0M Crochet
6. $0.8M Foster

ML Minimum (15 Players) $11.1M

Leury Legend (0 Players) $5.5M

[South Side Hit Men]

$119.0M would rank 6th all time in White Sox history (2023, 2022, 2021, 2011, 2008, 2024).

[caulfield12]

https://sports.yahoo.com/alex-bregman-could-traded-offseason-143133246.html

Going to make it even harder to deal Moncada with Bregman on the market.

[Balta1701]

37 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

https://sports.yahoo.com/alex-bregman-could-traded-offseason-143133246.html

Going to make it even harder to deal Moncada with Bregman on the market.

If...hypothetically they were able to move Bergman for a return of some value, I wonder if they might be willing to gamble on Moncada, at least with taking on a portion of his contract.

[nrockway]

I'm going with $115 mil max. subtract Cease's ~$10mil (can you retain the salary if he's traded before arbitration hearings? I don't think so), add about $2mil in pre-arb contracts from that deal, puts the projected payroll at about ~$110m. 

I tend to think we'll roll with Perez/Lee at catcher and that there's enough infield depth to avoid re-signing Elvis or a similar player. I don't see any point in spending on pitching, there are 13+ guys who are at least AAAA quality without Cease, unless you really want to spend 8 or 9 mil on a guy like Hyun-Jin Ryu or Carrasco. I wouldn't. Could possibly add someone in the Rule 5 draft too.

Probably just need some outfield depth. Haseley was DFA'd today to add DeJong, could see Remillard being DFA'd for that purpose. But who to add? I wouldn't mind adding Kiermaier as a super-sub or to even start in RF but that seems very unlikely. Who else is really available? Someone of Trayce Thompson's caliber at $1-5mil. Or add someone in the Rule 5 draft. 

I bet they'd really love to get under $100mil. But will any team be willing to take on the majority of Moncada's salary?

Edited November 28, 2023 by nrockway

[caulfield12]

1 hour ago, nrockway said:

I'm going with $115 mil max. subtract Cease's ~$10mil (can you retain the salary if he's traded before arbitration hearings? I don't think so), add about $2mil in pre-arb contracts from that deal, puts the projected payroll at about ~$110m. 

I tend to think we'll roll with Perez/Lee at catcher and that there's enough infield depth to avoid re-signing Elvis or a similar player. I don't see any point in spending on pitching, there are 13+ guys who are at least AAAA quality without Cease, unless you really want to spend 8 or 9 mil on a guy like Hyun-Jin Ryu or Carrasco. I wouldn't. Could possibly add someone in the Rule 5 draft too.

Probably just need some outfield depth. Haseley was DFA'd today to add DeJong, could see Remillard being DFA'd for that purpose. But who to add? I wouldn't mind adding Kiermaier as a super-sub or to even start in RF but that seems very unlikely. Who else is really available? Someone of Trayce Thompson's caliber at $1-5mil. Or add someone in the Rule 5 draft. 

I bet they'd really love to get under $100mil. But will any team be willing to take on the majority of Moncada's salary?

Not unless he puts up a 725-750ish ops the first half of the year and plays in at least 75-80% of the games.

[nrockway]

50 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Not unless he puts up a 725-750ish ops the first half of the year and plays in at least 75-80% of the games.

Yeah seems wiser to keep him for now and trade at the deadline. He’ll also only be owed about $10-15mil at that point which seems easier to stomach (or retain). 

[Chicago White Sox]

I’m guessing we max out around $130M to $140M.

[SoxFest23]

$131m

[caulfield12]

Seem to be shooting for $120-129 million range...Cease/Jimenez and half of Moncada's remaining commitment at ASB would save another huge chunk of money.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

??? Reinsdorf ruins the whole fan experience . Guessing payroll by $ is fruitless. It won't be enough to do what he said about a quick turnaround just like it was never enough for the previous FO to figure out how to make it work for a rebuild. He won't commit to build infrastructure, he won't commit to international players, he won't pay for superstars and doesn't like  paying or waiting for youth to get better . Who exactly does that leave to acquire ?. Like Parkman used to say " pick a lane McDuck." If you prefer a smaller player payroll then get more staff and equipment and commit fully to developing youth and trade them away when they they get expensive like TB.

Stop dangling the carrot because your master plan of just doing barely enough to hardly ever make the playoffs in a division where no one else pays big money, 
is and has been an utter failure in every way.

However if your master plan was to get the people who want to pay money to watch your team, eat your food and buy your merchandise to despise you , your top executives, your manager and your players, congratulations you are a huge success !

[Tnetennba]

$1

No wait, sorry, that’s what I’m willing to spend on the 2024 Chicago White Sox. 

[Harold's Leg Lift]

$150M