MLB average salary above 3 million for first time

Dec. 13, 2010

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NEW YORK(AP)The average salary in Major League Baseball finished over 3 million for the first time.The 912 players in the bigleagues before rosters expanded in September averaged 3,014,572, theMajor League Baseball Players Association said Monday. The average rose0.6 percent from last year's 2,996,106, the smallest increase since a2.5 percent drop in 2004.The union's opening-day averagefirst reached 3 million in 2007, but the average drops during theseason as veterans are released and replaced by younger players earningfar less. The union's average at the start of this season was3,340,133.The New York Yankees had thehighest final average at 7,604,937, down slightly from 7,663,351 whenthey won the World Series in 2009. Philadelphia rose from eighth tosecond at 5,662,551.Boston (4,821,016) remainedthird, and the Chicago White Sox (4,580,868) climbed from 12th tofourth followed by the Chicago Cubs (4,107,304), who dropped fromsecond. Houston (1,931,793) slid from 11th to 22nd.Pittsburgh was last for the second straight season at 1,140,598. Cleveland (1,205,210) dropped from 23rd to 29th.Only three of the top seventeams by average salary made the postseason, with the Yankees andPhillies joined by the World Series champion San Francisco Giants, whowere seventh at 4,042,950. The AL champion Texas Rangers were 14th at2,778,920.Also making the playoffs wereNo. 10 Atlanta, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 16 Tampa Bay and No. 19Cincinnati, which commissioner Bud Selig has pointed to as a sign thatrevenue sharing is working for the middle- and low-revenue teams.Among regulars at positions,first basemen again had the highest average at 9.5 million, with thirdbasemen (8.47 million) passing designated hitters (7.43 million) forsecond. Second basemen (4.9 million) were next, trailed by catchers(4.79 million), outfielders (4.66 million), shortstops (4.59million), starting pitchers (4.58 million) and relief pitchers (2.11million).The commissioner's office willnot determine its final figures for a few weeks. Management's numbersusually differ slightly because of different methods of calculation.