What's a Win Worth?
The price of a win fluctuated greatly among major league teams last season. Here is a look at each team's cost per win, along with its two highest-paid players (playoff teams in red):
Winning Payrolls
World Series winners with payroll and rank
| Year | Team | Payroll | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | New York Yankees | $52,189,370 | 1st |
| 1997 | Florida Marlins | 47,753,000 | 7th |
| 1998 | New York Yankees | 63,159,898 | 2nd |
| 1999 | New York Yankees | 88,130,709 | 1st |
| 2000 | New York Yankees | 92,938,260 | 1st |
| 2001 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 85,247,999 | 8th |
| 2002 | Anaheim Angels | 61,721,667 | 15th |
| 2003 | Florida Marlins | 48,750,000 | 25th |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox | 127,298,500 | 2nd |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | 75,178,000 | 13th |
Salary gap between the top two payrolls
| Year | Gap | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $2,611,310 | 1st: New York Yankees 2nd: Boston Red Sox |
| 2002 | 17,562,523 | 1st: New York Yankees 2nd: Boston Red Sox |
| 2003 | 35,573,385 | 1st: New York Yankees 2nd: New York Mets |
| 2004 | 56,895,450 | 1st: New York Yankees 2nd: Boston Red Sox |
| 2005 | 84,801,692 | 1st: New York Yankees 2nd: Boston Red Sox |
Nationals' Payroll
The Washington Nationals' total payroll and rank among MLB teams for the past 10 years. Before last season, the Nationals were the Montreal Expos.
| Year | Payroll | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $48,581,500 | 23 |
| 2004 | 41,197,500 | 26 |
| 2003 | 51,948,500 | 20 |
| 2002 | 38,670,500 | 29 |
| 2001 | 34,849,500 | 28 |
| 2000 | 33,527,666 | 24 |
| 1999 | 16,373,000 | 28 |
| 1998 | 9,202,000 | 30 |
| 1997 | 18,335,500 | 26 |
| 1996 | 15,410,500 | 28 |
NOTE: Baseball increased from 28 to 30 teams in 1998.
Orioles' Payroll
The Baltimore Orioles' total payroll and rank among MLB teams for the past 10 years.
| Year | Payroll | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $73,914,333 | 14 |
| 2004 | 51,623,333 | 20 |
| 2003 | 73,877,500 | 13 |
| 2002 | 60,493,487 | 16 |
| 2001 | 74,279,540 | 12 |
| 2000 | 83,141,198 | 3 |
| 1999 | 70,818,363 | 8 |
| 1998 | 70,408,134 | 1 |
| 1997 | 54,871,399 | 2 |
| 1996 | 48,726,832 | 2 |
NOTE: Baseball increased from 28 to 30 teams in 1998.
The Washington Post - March 29, 2006
