Sox, Cubs finish middle of payroll pack
NEW YORK — The Chicago White Sox finished 13th and the Cubs finished 14th on Major League Baseball’s payroll rankings for the 2012 season, with the New York Yankees again leading the way with a payroll nearly equal to the White Sox and Cubs combined.
The White Sox spent $114,459,560, and the Cubs spent $112,711,841 while the Yankees totaled $223,439,158.
Listed below are the final 2012 payrolls for the 30 major league teams for purposes of the luxury tax, as defined by baseball’s collective bargaining agreement and sent to clubs by the commissioner’s office.
Figures are for 40-man rosters and include the average annual values of contracts and $10,799,590 per club for benefits and extended benefits, which include items such as health and pension benefits; club medical costs; insurance; workman’s compensation, payroll, unemployment and Social Security taxes; spring training allowances; meal and tip money; All-Star game expenses; travel and moving expenses; postseason pay; and college scholarships. Salaries include earned incentive bonuses, noncash compensation, buyouts of unexercised options and cash transactions. In some cases, parts of salaries that are deferred are discounted to reflect present-day values.
The luxury tax is assessed on the amount above $178 million. As a team that paid at a 40 percent rate on the amount over the threshold in 2011, the Yankees pay at a 42.5 percent rate on the amount over the threshold in 2012.
1. N.Y. Yankees: $223,439,158
2. Boston: $177,952,823
3. L.A. Angels: $176,652,838
4. Philadelphia: $174,523,432
5. San Francisco: $160,399,128
6. L.A. Dodgers: $158,258,570
7. Texas: $148,513,970
8. Detroit: $145,231,588
9. St. Louis: $125,811,271
10. Milwaukee: $120,865,321
11. Washington: $118,978,939
12. Cincinnati: $118,770,061
13. WHITE SOX: $114,459,560
14. CUBS: $112,711,841
15. Miami: $111,824,633
16. Colorado: $106,202,187
17. Minnesota: $105,860,445
18. N.Y. Mets: $105,704,018
19. Atlanta: $105,318,027
20. Toronto: $103,726,534
21. Baltimore: $97,056,240
22. Arizona: $88,891,716
23. Seattle: $88,389,993
24. Kansas City: $83,462,428
25. Cleveland: $82,626,016
26. Tampa Bay: $81,206,178
27. Pittsburgh: $80,317,027
28. San Diego: $78,817,495
29. Oakland: $73,073,503
30. Houston: $72,265,379
Total: $3,541,310,317