'Payroll Value'

I talk all the time about ‘payroll value’… not what you pay out, but what the ‘non-dead’ money you have on the field during a given year. Last year, that really rounded out to around $45mil, but let’s look at this team a different way.

Take Mike Trout. Last year, he was paid $500K. This year, he will get $1mil, but still be arbitration eligible. But… what’s his ‘real’ value to your team. In my book, this is a $25mil/yr player and that’s how you have to evaluate him.

Let’s move to the Mets.

David Wright, Bartolo Colon, Curtis Granderson, and Jon Niese are under long term contract. Their 2015 value is etched in stone and comes in at a combined $54.050mil.

Now… Mike Harvey… forget the $500K he’s being paid. Easily, he projects as a $15mil arm.

                    (see where I'm going here?)

There are two more ‘five figure’ starters on this team, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler. Conservatively, they represent a $10mil arm each.

Daniel Murphy will be paid at least $7mil in his last arbitration year.

I’m already up to $96mil+.

Bobby Parnell… Rafael Montero… Dillon Gee… Travis d’Arnaud… Wilmer Flores… as you can see, the team that will hit the field in 2015 already has a potential value in the $1250150mil range.

Sure, they aren’t being paid that yet, but they will be someday. 

They’re that talented.