Over recent weeks and months, the Twins’ 2008 payroll amount has been portrayed in various outlets to be a lower amount than what actually occurred.  Most recently, even the Twins’ own website stated that the payroll was only $57 million.

I am by no means an apologist for the frugality of the organization, but the roster all year was considerably above the $57 million most often quoted.  According to Cots Contracts, the Twins opening day 25-man roster totaled $59.5 million in actual salaries.  However, this did not include a $2 million incentive clause to Livan Hernandez based on innings pitched, and it did not include signing bonuses totaling $8.75 million to Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer.  Of course, it also did not include amounts paid to minor league call-ups and players traded for during the year.

Shown below is an estimate of the actual payroll for 2008.  Most of the information was obtained from Cot’s Baseball Contracts.  Other amounts for minor-league call-ups are estimated based on service time and days on the active roster. 

The total payout is in the neighborhood of $70 million, which is not all that different from the amount paid in 2007, when the likes of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter were on the roster, and a far cry from the $57 million being reported in various outlets.

All amounts below are in $Millions.

Players With the Team All Year, Including DL
Nathan        $11.25
Morneau          7.40
Mauer              6.25
Cuddyer          5.00
Everett             2.80
Punto               2.40
Kubel               1.30
Crain                1.05
Reyes              1.00
Guerrier           0.95
Redmond        0.95
Young              0.70
Neshek            0.44
Bonser             0.43
Harris               0.43
Baker                0.42
Slowey              0.40
Gomez              0.40
Blackburn         0.39
Tolbert              0.39
Total              $44.35

Players Released or DFA’d During the Year - Full Contract Owed
Monroe          3.82
Lamb             3.50
Rincon          2.48
Bass             0.39
Total            $10.19   
Cumulative            $54.54

Player Traded - Prorated based on number of days with Twins
Hernandez         $4.18*
Total                   $4.18   
Cumulative               $58.72

*Hernandez’ contract included $133K bonuses, paid by Twins, each at 160, 165, 170, 175, and 180 innings pitched.

Players Acquired During the Year - Prorated based on number of days with Twins
Guardado      0.65
Breslow         0.26
Total             $0.91   
Cumulative        $59.63

Minor-league Call-ups - Salaries based on prorated $390K minimum salary, based on number of days in Majors
Perkins         0.31
Casilla          0.31
Buscher        0.26
Span              0.24
Liriano           0.17
Korecky          0.13
Ruiz                 0.13
Macri               0.12
Humber          0.06
Jorgensen     0.06
Mijares          0.06
Pridie             0.06
Clark              0.03
Total             $1.94   
Cumulative        $61.57

Signing Bonuses
Morneau        $6.00
Cuddyer          2.75
Total               $8.75   
Cumulative        $70.32