How Cole Hamels' new contract fits into the payroll moving forward
Lots of talk about how much money the Phillies have tied up in X amount of players now that Cole Hamels has signed a six-year, $144 million contract extension.
How Cole Hamels' new contract fits into the payroll moving forward
Lots of talk about how much money the Phillies have tied up in X amount of players now that Cole Hamels has signed a six-year, $144 million contract extension.
Here is how the roster sets up for next year:
*projected
Lineup
Jimmy Rollins SS - $9.5 million
Chase Utley 2B - $12.125 million
EMPTY (3B/LF/CF)
Ryan Howard 1B - $25.0 million
Carlos Ruiz C - $3.45 million
Hunter Pence - $14.0 million*
EMPTY (3B/LF/CF)
EMPTY (3B/LF/CF)
Rotation
Cole Hamels LHP - $24.0 million
Cliff Lee LHP - $24.0 million
Roy Halladay RHP - $20.0 million
Vance Worley RHP - $.515 million*
Kyle Kendrick RHP - $3.75 million
Bullpen
Jonathan Papelbon RHP - $12.5 million
Antonio Bastardo LHP - $1.5 million*
Jake Diekman RHP - $.485 million*
EMPTY
EMPTY
EMPTY
EMPTY
Bench
Laynce Nix LHB/OF/1B - $1.25 million
John Mayberry Jr. RHB/OF - .515 million*
Freddy Galvis - $.485 million*
EMPTY (Backup Catcher)
EMPTY (Bench bat)
All of that adds up to $153.075 million for 16 players, with nine spots left to fill. Add another $10 million for player benefits, which count against the luxury tax threshold, and the Phillies are $14 million under the $178 million threshold.
But club president David Montgomery acknowledged today that the club "may have to" exceed that threshold, which increases to $189 million in 2014. The penalty for a first-time offender like the Phillies would be under $3 million on a $190 million payroll, so the tax is not cost prohibitive. How far over the threshold they can go remains to be seen, and will dictate how, exactly, they can upgrade the roster moving forward.
