Payroll - Revised

Now that all but two of the arbitration eligible players are under contract, let's take another look:

Under contract as of January 10:
(figures in millions of course)

Wells - 23
Lind - 5
Hill - 5
Dotel - 3.5
Encarnacion - 2.5
McDonald - 1.5
Molina - 1
Romero - 0.75
McGowan - 0.45

Total = $42.7 million

Arbitration-eligible players who've reached agreement:

Escobar - 2.9
Davis - 2.5
Morrow - 2.3
Camp - 2.25
Villianueva - 1.415
Janssen - 1.095
Listch - 0.83

Total = $13.29 million

(got to admit, I was feeling good last night about my predictions after the first wave came in, but I whiffed pretty badly on Morrow and Escobar)

Players set for arbitration, with figures offered and asked:

Bautista - 7.6 / 10.5
Frasor - 3.25 / 3.725

Totals = 10.85 / 14.225

Eight other players at near minimum salary - ~$3.3 million

I wrote Sunday, before the Rauch deal, the following:

Until and unless the Jays sign (or trade for) a significant addition, they are not going to significantly break $70 million for the opening day roster.

Total of the above if the Blue Jays win both arbitration cases = $70.14 million. No a bad estimate, to pat my own back. If they lose it's $73.515 million. Add Rauch and take away the minimum wage guy he presumably bumps off the roster and those figures are $73.416 and $76.851 million.

That might not be the final salary - there's a relatively strong possibility the Jays might yet sign Eric Chavez. But that's it for now. I should note that Adeiny Hechevarria also gets a major league salary but given there's no chance he'll be on the major league roster on opening day, I don't think that properly accounts to the opening day payroll.