Yankees vs. Dodgers: Payroll comparison
Vernon Wells congratulates Robinson Cano on his three-run home run during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. (April 25, 2013) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Yankees and Dodgers start a two-game set at the Stadium on Tuesday night that will be notable for the return of Don Mattingly, now the L.A. manager, as well as the historical implications of the Yankees playing their one-time intra-city rival.
It will not, however, be particularly notable for the names on the backs of the jerseys. The two teams with the highest payrolls in the majors (Yankees are No. 1) won’t be rolling out an All-Star lineup that features Derek Jeter, Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson. The Dodgers won’t feature Matt Kemp or Carl Crawford.
But let’s take a look at the “what if?” What if the Yankees and Dodgers, as they were thought to be constructed as spring training began, faced each other? And how would those salaries compare to what will likely be on the field tonight?
| Yankees original starter | Salary | Yankees current starter | Salary | Dodgers original starter | Salary | Dodgers current starter | Salary | |
| 1B | Mark Teixeira | $23.1M | Lyle Overbay | $1.2M | Adrian Gonzalez | $21.8M | Adrian Gonzalez | $21.8M |
| 2B | Robinson Cano | $15M | Robinson Cano | $15M | Mark Ellis | $5.2M | Mark Ellis | $5.2M |
| 3B | Kevin Youkilis | $12M | David Adams | $490K | Luis Cruz | $505K | Luis Cruz | $505K |
| SS | Derek Jeter | $16.7M | Jayson Nix | $900K | Hanley Ramirez | $15.5M | Hanley Ramirez | $15.5M |
| C | Francisco Cervelli | $515K | Chris Stewart | $515K | A.J. Ellis | $2M | A.J. Ellis | $2M |
| LF | Curtis Granderson | $15M | Vernon Wells | $6.5M | Carl Crawford | $20.8M | Skip Schumaker | $1.5M |
| CF | Brett Gardner | $2.8M | Brett Gardner | $2.8M | Matt Kemp | $20.2M | Andre Ethier | $13.5M |
| RF | Ichiro Suzuki | $6.5M | Ichiro Suzuki | $6.5M | Andre Ethier | $13.5M | Yasiel Puig | $2M |
| DH | Travis Hafner | $2M | Travis Hafner | $2M | Juan Uribe | $7.2M | Jerry Hairston Jr. | $3.7M |
| SP | Phil Hughes | $7.1M | Phil Hughes | $7.1M | Hyun-Jin Ryu | $3.3M | Hyun-Jin Ryu | $3.3M |
| Total | $100.8 | $43M | $110.3M | $69M |
Even without Alex Rodriguez, who wasn't projected to be back by the time this series started anyway, the Yankees and Dodgers would have combined for a payroll over $211 million -- just for their starting players. With all the injuries both clubs have suffered, that number is reduced nearly in half to $112 million.
Here's another way to look at it:
More Yankees headlines
