NEW YORK, N.Y. - The New York Yankees set a record for baseball's highest opening-day payroll at $230.4 million, almost 10 times what the Houston Astros are paying their players.
After all the talk of spending restraint during the off-season, the Yankees began the season Monday well ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a study of big league contracts by The Associated Press.
"We're the Yankees. We've had a lot of success doing business the way that we do it," Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "Why would you change?"
The Dodgers at $214.8 million became only the second franchise to break the $200 million barrier. The Yankees have topped it six years in a row.
"It doesn't take the highest payroll to win," Dodgers President Stan Kasten said. "You can't win by writing the biggest paycheque. I don't talk about our payroll. I talk about our players. We won't always have to sign the biggest free agents and make the biggest trades to be the best team."
At the other end, Houston was last at $27.3 million, down from about $61 million opening day last year and less than the major league-leading $29 million for the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. Houston's payroll is the lowest since the 2008 Florida Marlins were at $22 million.
Starting their first season in the American League, the Astros have lost 213 games during the past two years.
After an unsuccessful first season in their new ballpark and an off-season spent shedding stars, the Miami Marlins dropped from about $90 million to 29th at $44.7 million.
Fourteen teams topped $100 million, up from eight at the start of last season. Philadelphia was third at $160 million, followed by Boston ($157.6 million), AL champion Detroit ($150.5 million), the Los Angeles Angels ($141.9 million) and World Series champion San Francisco ($138 million).
Toronto was another team that changed its approach during the off-season, raising its payroll from $75 million to $118 million.
The average for the 856 players on active rosters and disabled lists plus the four players serving suspensions was $3.65 million, up 6.1 per cent from $3.44 million at the start of last season and the steepest rise since 2008.
Million-dollar salaries rose by 15 to 463, which comes to 54 per cent of players. The number of $10 million players increased from 89 to 103, and $20 million stars jumped from 14 to 21.
Just 44 players make the $490,000 minimum. The median salary, the point at which an equal number is above and below, rose by $187,500 to a record $1,262,500.
There were 102 players on disabled lists, one fewer than on opening day last year.
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AP Sports Writer Beth Harris contributed to this report.
