Yankees remain king of payroll

~ More than 400 players will be making at least $1 million in 2007.

NEW YORK -- The Yankees' pinstripes might as well be green.

Four of the top seven players on baseball's salary list play in the Bronx, led by Alex Rodriguez at a record $27.7 million, according to a survey of contract terms by The Associated Press.

A-Rod is followed by Jason Giambi ($23.4 million) and Derek Jeter ($21.6 million), with Boston's Manny Ramirez fourth at $17 million.

"I love being the highest-paid player in the game. It's pretty cool," Rodriguez said when he arrived at spring training, explaining the money allows him to do more charitable work. "You get crushed, but you know what? It's pretty cool. I enjoy it."

Colorado's Todd Helton ($16.6 million) was fifth, and the Yankees' Andy Pettitte was tied for sixth with the Los Angeles Angels' Bartolo Colon at $16 million.

"We should make it. We're the ones doing the entertaining," said San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, 11th on the list at $15.5 million.

The Yankees' opening-day payroll dropped slightly for the second straight season to $195.2 million from $198.7 million last year and a record $205.9 million in 2005.

Boston was next at $143.5 million -- and that doesn't include the $51.1 million fee the Red Sox paid the Seibu Lions for pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Yankees' figure also didn't include the $26 million they sent to the Hanshin Tigers for pitcher Kei Igawa.

The New York Mets were third at $117.9 million, followed by the Chicago White Sox ($109.7 million), the Angels ($109.3 million), the Los Angeles Dodgers ($108.7 million) and the Seattle Mariners ($106.5 million).

"Owners wouldn't pay it if they weren't making it," said Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, whose $11.1 million salary ranks him just 50th.

Tampa Bay had the lowest payroll at $24.1 million and Florida was 29th at $30.05 million, double last year's figure of just under $15 million. Nineteen of 31 players on the Marlins make the minimum $380,000.

Payroll figures don't include cash transactions, such as money the Yankees are receiving from Texas for Rodriguez and the White Sox are getting from Philadelphia for Jim Thome.

An influx of injured players kept baseball's average salary from breaking the $3 million barrier on opening day. The average was a record $2.94 million, up 2.7 percent from last year's opening average of $2.87 million.

There were 32 more players on the disabled list this year than at the start of last season. That meant the addition of nearly three dozen extra players -- nearly all earning close to the minimum. Baseball's average broke the $1 million barrier in 1992 and the $2 million mark in 2001.

Sixty-six players made $10 million or more, and that $1 million club jumped from 409 to 425 -- matching the record set in 2001.

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Average salary

The average baseball salary on opening day, based on salary studies by the The Associated Press, and the percentage increase or decrease.

Year Average Pct. Inc.

1989 $512,804 NA

1990 578,930 12.9

1991 891,188 53.9

1992 1,084,408 21.7

1993 1,120,254 3.3

1994 1,188,679 6.1

1995 1,071,029 (-9.9)

1996 1,176,967 9.9

1997 1,383,578 17.6

1998 1,441,406 4.2

1999 1,720,050 19.3

2000 1,988,034 15.6

2001 2,264,403 13.9

2002 2,383,235 5.2

2003 2,555,476 7.2

2004 2,486,609 (-2.7)

2005 2,632,655 5.9

2006 2,866,544 8.9

2007 2,944,556 2.7

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2007 team payrolls

Payrolls and average salaries for the opening day rosters of the 30 major league teams. Figures were obtained by The Associated Press from management and player sources and include salaries and pro-rated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income. For some players, parts of deferred signing bonuses and salaries are discounted to reflect present-day values. Cash transactions among the clubs are not included.

Team Payroll Average

N.Y. Yankees $195,229,045 $6,732,036

Boston 143,526,214 5,125,936

New York Mets 117,915,819 3,930,527

Chicago White Sox 109,680,167 4,218,468

Los Angeles Angels 109,251,333 3,641,711

Los Angeles Dodgers 108,704,524 3,748,432

Seattle 106,516,833 3,945,068

Chicago Cubs 99,937,000 3,701,370

Detroit 95,180,369 3,172,679

Baltimore 95,107,807 3,396,707

San Francisco 90,469,056 3,479,579

St. Louis 90,286,823 3,224,529

Atlanta 89,492,685 3,196,167

Philadelphia 89,368,214 3,081,663

Houston 87,759,500 3,250,352

Oakland 79,938,369 2,854,942

Toronto 79,925,600 2,960,207

Milwaukee 71,986,500 2,666,167

Minnesota 71,439,500 2,551,411

Cincinnati 69,154,980 2,161,093

Texas 68,818,675 2,457,810

Kansas City 67,366,500 2,173,113

Cleveland 61,673,267 2,126,664

San Diego 58,235,567 2,239,829

Colorado 54,424,000 2,015,704

Arizona 52,067,546 1,859,555

Pittsburgh 38,604,500 1,429,796

Washington 37,347,500 1,287,845

Florida 30,507,000 984,097

Tampa Bay 24,124,200 893,489