MLB player salaries see increase

Each year, a litany of articles are written about who is spending what on player payrolls in Major League Baseball based upon the Opening Day rosters. But, a more telling set of numbers arrives each year, well after the season has ended, that is arguably for more critical. The “End of Year” or “Final” player payroll figures in MLB shows how clubs spent over the course of a season, and reflects changes after the rosters are expanded to 40 players toward the end of the season. It’s also the figure that drives who has, or hasn’t broken the Luxury Tax threshold. For 2011, a total of $2,999,559,291 was spent at the end of the season, up 3.02% from $2,911,575,488 in 2010. It was the largest increase since 2008 when salaries increased 6.20%. When the season started, the Yankees (again) ranked #1 in the league by player payroll with the Phillies #2. When the season ended, the Yankees still held the #1 position, but the Red Sox went to #2. With it, both those clubs will have t...