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Young Drachma · 09-28-2007, 08:03 PM

At $69 million in payroll (as of November 8, 2002), the Boston Yankees are currently third in the majors. Ownership has decided that just as it did last year before the regular season started, where the team slashed about $17 million in salary, that with the new ballpark coming in 2005, that the team ought to cut ties now with its last few veterans and go into rebuilding mode.

Here's the basic gist of the conversation I had with Team President Bud "H.G." Wells last week:

"Now, you knew this was coming [a drastic cutback] and this World Series just makes it easier for us to tell our fans that we're trying to preserve our money so we can keep the team healthy when that new stadium comes. Because right now, these kids are going to get to the majors, they're gonna get arbitration and before we know it, we're going to be paying over $100 million a year in payroll. We just can't afford that, D.C."

I tried to tell him that people were going to be more than just irate, they were going to be livid and that to do that to people now when the team has been so successful after going through a huge dead period was just a bad idea.

But I should've known better. Any group of guys that hire a kid who isn't 30 to run their baseball team clearly are looking to work things out on the cheap. I wasn't supposed to come here and win a World Series, so I think the first year of futility they expected, it's the last two years of rebounding and then getting to where we did this year that caught them off-guard. But we've got so many good guys from top to bottom here helping us evaluate talent and everything. They've been with this organization a long time, since the glory years.

They motivated me.

But this is just nuts.

But he went on.

"So, here's the deal. I talked to [the other owners] Mick, George and Davis and here's what they tell me. They want us down to about $40 million. That'd put us in the middle of the league. You've been bragging about this bumper crop of kids for a while. Now's the time to see if they can sink or swim."

"Are you serious?"

"Well, it worked for that first group we had [referring to the 2000 squad that was the worst in franchise history]?"

"Yeah, but that was part of a rebuilding process that we wanted to infuse with veterans to get things good. I thought we were ALL on the same page. I can't believe what I'm hearing."

"Now D.C., you know we're 100% behind you. And think about how nice it'll be when we move into that new stadium. You'll get a bigger office. The kids will be really ready to go then and who knows? Maybe it'll be time for another World Series?"

"Ugh. I think I feel sick."

Here's the PAYROLL for the next few years

Code:

Boston Yankees 11-08-2002
Team Salary	
Name			2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
M.A. Charbonneau	$9.2m	$14.2m	$16.2m							
Ricardo Serrano		$8.8m	$8.8m	$8.8m							
Spencer Jacobs		$8.6m	$8.6m								
Manny López		$7.5m	$8.5m	$9.5m							
Vic Ross		$6.6m	$6.6m								
Francisco Ortíz		$4.4m	$4.4m	$6.4m	$7.4m						
Miguel Martínez		$4.1m	$4.3m	$4.5m	$4.8m						
Jacob Snow		$3.7m	Arbitration	Arbitration							
Dan Warren		$3.5m	Arbitration	Arbitration							
José Portillo		$2.8m									
Orlando Casillas	$2.4m	$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration					
Mino Nishikawa		$2.0m	Arbitration								
Luis Manuel Morales	$1.5m	Arbitration	Arbitration							
Félix Murillo		$1.1m									
Florentino Aybar	$885k	$890k	$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration				
Derek Dowd		$225k	$225k	$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration				
José Hernández		$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration						
Jack Miller		$225k	$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration					
Ralph Oliver		$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration						
Alfie Penrice		$225k	$225k	$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration				
Vin Reilly		$225k	$225k	$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration				
Jeremy Thompson		$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration						
Álvaro Vega		$225k	$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration					
Michael Warren		$225k	Arbitration	Arbitration	Arbitration

09-28-2007, 08:03 PM	#98
Young Drachma Dark Cloud Join Date: Apr 2001	At $69 million in payroll (as of November 8, 2002), the Boston Yankees are currently third in the majors. Ownership has decided that just as it did last year before the regular season started, where the team slashed about $17 million in salary, that with the new ballpark coming in 2005, that the team ought to cut ties now with its last few veterans and go into rebuilding mode. Here's the basic gist of the conversation I had with Team President Bud "H.G." Wells last week: "Now, you knew this was coming [a drastic cutback] and this World Series just makes it easier for us to tell our fans that we're trying to preserve our money so we can keep the team healthy when that new stadium comes. Because right now, these kids are going to get to the majors, they're gonna get arbitration and before we know it, we're going to be paying over $100 million a year in payroll. We just can't afford that, D.C." I tried to tell him that people were going to be more than just irate, they were going to be livid and that to do that to people now when the team has been so successful after going through a huge dead period was just a bad idea. But I should've known better. Any group of guys that hire a kid who isn't 30 to run their baseball team clearly are looking to work things out on the cheap. I wasn't supposed to come here and win a World Series, so I think the first year of futility they expected, it's the last two years of rebounding and then getting to where we did this year that caught them off-guard. But we've got so many good guys from top to bottom here helping us evaluate talent and everything. They've been with this organization a long time, since the glory years. They motivated me. But this is just nuts. But he went on. "So, here's the deal. I talked to [the other owners] Mick, George and Davis and here's what they tell me. They want us down to about $40 million. That'd put us in the middle of the league. You've been bragging about this bumper crop of kids for a while. Now's the time to see if they can sink or swim." "Are you serious?" "Well, it worked for that first group we had [referring to the 2000 squad that was the worst in franchise history]?" "Yeah, but that was part of a rebuilding process that we wanted to infuse with veterans to get things good. I thought we were ALL on the same page. I can't believe what I'm hearing." "Now D.C., you know we're 100% behind you. And think about how nice it'll be when we move into that new stadium. You'll get a bigger office. The kids will be really ready to go then and who knows? Maybe it'll be time for another World Series?" "Ugh. I think I feel sick." Here's the PAYROLL for the next few years Code: Boston Yankees 11-08-2002 Team Salary Name 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 M.A. Charbonneau $9.2m $14.2m $16.2m Ricardo Serrano $8.8m $8.8m $8.8m Spencer Jacobs $8.6m $8.6m Manny López $7.5m $8.5m $9.5m Vic Ross $6.6m $6.6m Francisco Ortíz $4.4m $4.4m $6.4m $7.4m Miguel Martínez $4.1m $4.3m $4.5m $4.8m Jacob Snow $3.7m Arbitration Arbitration Dan Warren $3.5m Arbitration Arbitration José Portillo $2.8m Orlando Casillas $2.4m $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Mino Nishikawa $2.0m Arbitration Luis Manuel Morales $1.5m Arbitration Arbitration Félix Murillo $1.1m Florentino Aybar $885k $890k $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Derek Dowd $225k $225k $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration José Hernández $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Jack Miller $225k $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Ralph Oliver $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Alfie Penrice $225k $225k $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Vin Reilly $225k $225k $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Jeremy Thompson $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Álvaro Vega $225k $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Michael Warren $225k Arbitration Arbitration Arbitration Last edited by Young Drachma : 09-28-2007 at 08:13 PM.