(New York) Major League Baseball’s average salary jumped 14.8% to a record $4.22 million last season, largely due to lucrative contracts signed by Max Scherzer, Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager .
This rate of increase is the highest since the 17.7% increase recorded in 2000, which raised the median salary to 1.61 million, according to calculations by the Players Association (MLBPA).
The average has dropped in each of the previous four seasons through 2022, drawing the ire of players during a 99-day lockdown that ended last March.
The median annual salary in 2022 calculated by the union was $4,222,193, up from $3,679,335 in 2021. The MLB, which uses a different calculation method, comes to a median salary of $4,117,472, an increase of 15 % against the $3,579,341 paid on average in 2021.
Salary bills, which more fully reflect the club’s on-field spending, jumped 12.6% from 4.05 billion in 2021 to 4.56 billion.
Wages have also grown more sharply this winter. The New York Mets notably increased their payroll to around 370 million, well above the previous mark of 297.9 million for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015.
Some owners are calling for significant changes to mitigate stark differences in clubs’ payrolls, demands that cannot be considered until this collective agreement is renewed after the 2026 season. The MLB this month established a committee to study the economics of the sport.
“History leads us to believe that an economic committee […] will be super focused on passing a salary cap or something like that when we negotiate again,” said MLBPA manager Tony Clark on Saturday.
“We will never accept a ceiling. Let’s start by making this clear. We have no limit, we will not accept a limit,” added Clark. A salary cap is the ultimate constraint on player value and player salary. We believe in a market economy. This savings has served our players, our teams and our sport well. »
Clark even argued that some teams keep payrolls low strategically, not for lack of revenue.
“When the product on the field is good, the fans go to the stadium. When fans come to the stadium, local revenue – all revenue – increases. This business model has served our industry very well, he explained. Good questions are raised when teams in a growing industry have payrolls half of what they were 10 or 15 years ago. »
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said the MLB generated $10.8 billion in revenue last year. Clark praised the very active free agent market.
“What’s interesting is the comments that are making the headlines despite the exciting winter season, during which the teams that have been actively involved in deals have created a level of excitement that I believe is positive,” commented Clark.
The numbers are based on the 1,043 players on active rosters and injured lists as of August 31, the last day before the roster drops from 26 to 28 players. MLBPA calculations take into account pro rata termination clauses. MLB does not include these amounts in its calculations.
Neither party takes into account the 50 million in eligible bonuses for players who do not have access to arbitration.
Associated Press reporter David Brandt, Phoenix, contributed to this story.
