News
Padres' payroll to be about $42 million
Pitcher Young, slugger Gonzalez to be highest-paid players
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
03/14/10 8:00 PM ET
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres' payroll will be about $42 million when they open the regular season next month.The figure includes the salaries of the players who will likely comprise the Padres' 25-man Opening Day roster, split contracts for their Minor League players on the 40-man roster and replacement contracts to cover for players on the disabled list.
Pitcher Chris Young ($6.75 million) and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez ($4.75 million) will be the highest-paid players.
Fourteen of the 25 players on the Padres' projected Opening Day roster will make less than $430,000 this season, including third baseman Chase Headley ($427,700) and pitcher Clayton Richard ($423,000). The remainder of those players will make less than $420,000.
The Padres signed four free agents during the offseason -- pitcher Jon Garland, catcher Yorvit Torrealba, utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. and outfielder Matt Stairs.
Garland will make a base of $4.7 million with a $600,000 buyout if the team declines to pick up his $6.75 mutual option for 2011. Torrealba will make $750,000 this season. He will receive a $500,000 buyout if his $3.5 million mutual option isn't picked up.
Garland and Torrealba's combined buyout ($1.1 million) will be factored into the 2010 payroll.
Hairston, the older brother of Padres outfielder Scott Hairston, will make $2.125 million. Stairs signed a Minor League contract that will pay him $700,000 if he's on the 25-man Opening Day roster.
The Padres, like other Major League teams, have a number of players who will have split contracts, which includes salary rates they'll earn while in the Minor Leagues and if they earn a promotion to the Major Leagues.
For example, pitcher Luis Perdomo will make $405,100 this season if he is in the Major Leagues or $240,000 if he is in the Minor Leagues.
Other notable salaries for 2009 include pitchers Heath Bell ($4 million), Kevin Correia ($3.6 million), the younger Hairston ($2.45 million), infielder David Eckstein ($1 million) and pitcher Mike Adams ($1 million).
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
