Now that MLB’s postseason field is set, let’s look at the 10 clubs entering the playoffs and see how their respective rosters performed in relation to their payroll costs. We’ll review four metrics — end-of-season estimated 40-man payroll cost (including taxes/benefits) via Cot’s Baseball Contracts, cost per win, team WAR (per FanGraphs) and cost per WAR.
The clubs are covered alphabetically by league (through Game 163).
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American League
Boston Red Sox
Payroll: $237.4M
Cost per win: $2.19M
Team WAR: 50.3
Cost per WAR: $4.72M
The Red Sox were by far the highest-spending team in the game, and the amount will grow because Boston flew past the 2018 luxury tax threshold of $197 million. The Red Sox reset their tax last season, though if the all-in payroll plays out, they will be charged at the highest surcharge rate for first-time offenders (62.5 percent) because they exceeded the threshold by $40 million.
If a World Series title comes to Boston, the costs will be forgotten rather quickly. However, if the Red Sox fall short, it could bring changes to how the club conducts business in 2019.
Cleveland Indians
Payroll: $146.5M
Cost per win: $1.61M
Team WAR: 50.6
Cost per WAR: $2.90M
There was little question the Indians would be the AL Central’s representative, having enjoyed the easiest path to the postseason, winning their division by 13 games. The club’s window is plenty open for more division titles in upcoming seasons, but if Cleveland does not nail down the World Series title in 2018, will the Indians look for a substantial boost to a payroll that has jumped close to $60 million since 2015?
Houston Astros
Payroll: $186.3M
Cost per win: $1.81M
Team WAR: 55.5
Cost per WAR: $3.36M
The Astros became the first reigning World Series champion to win 100 games since the 1990 Oakland Athletics. Houston added more than $46 million to its payroll from last season’s final tally, but winning the World Series adds a slew of revenue to a club. So it's good to see the defending champs reinvesting their cash to try to score another title.
New York Yankees
Payroll: $191.3M
Cost per win: $1.91M
Team WAR: 56.0
Cost per WAR: $3.41M
The league’s traditional poster child for spending has been lowering payroll little by little with this season in mind, chopping off close to $33 million from last season’s final mark. The Yankees will finish under the luxury tax threshold for the first time since the new system began in 2003 and reset their penalty should they go over in 2019. Ask many Yankee fans and they’ll tell you that despite winning 100 games in 2018, New York has to blow the safe up for the free agent market this winter.
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Oakland Athletics
Payroll: $86.9M
Cost per win: $896K
Team WAR: 44.4
Cost per WAR: $1.98M
What the Athletics have done this season is spectacular, gaining 22 wins from their 2017 campaign and securing the team’s most victories in a season since 2013 when they tallied 96 wins. The last time the A’s reached the playoffs, their payroll sat at $91.6 million, making their minimal spending in 2018 that much more impressive. The A’s paid less for every win than any of the other postseason clubs and their cost per WAR was also the best among the field.
National League
Atlanta Braves
Payroll: $126.5M
Cost per win: $1.41M
Team WAR: 40.7
Cost per WAR: $3.10M
We knew the Braves were going to be an interesting club this season, but to think that they were going to win the National League East felt like a stretch. That is to everyone except the Braves. Atlanta believed in its young talent, let them play, and the veterans did their part. The Braves are going to be a dangerous team in the postseason and because of the inexpensive core, they could once again be well on their way to an extended run of winning.
Chicago Cubs
Payroll: $190.3M (doesn’t include Daniel Murphy because of undisclosed cash sent to Cubs)
Cost per win: $2.00M
Team WAR: 40.0
Cost per WAR: $4.76M
The Cubs paid the second most of any National League team for their wins and on a cost-per-WAR basis. That said, the Cubs are still basking in their 2016 World Series championship, and as one of the higher revenue generating clubs, the cost should not be an issue. The club has inched closer to the luxury tax threshold and has $136 million on the books for next season (11 players), which does not include options for Cole Hamels ($20 million), Pedro Strop ($6.25 million) or Jose Quintana ($10.5 million), nor does it factor in a group of players heading to arbitration for the first time.
Colorado Rockies
Payroll: $146.7M
Cost per win: $1.61M
Team WAR: 33.8
Cost per WAR: $4.34M
The Rockies continually contend with a bunch of non-believers because of where they play. The assertion is that the mountain air helps the Rockies and hurts their opponents, which provides a significant home-field advantage. Well, the Rockies are a darn good road team this season and they are one of the hottest squads in the game. Of the playoff clubs, the Rockies compiled the lowest WAR, though that is balanced by one of the lower cost-per-win marks among the grouping, which is likely a more valid concern for Colorado’s ownership.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Payroll: $194.2M
Cost per win: $2.11M
Team WAR: 53.8
Cost per WAR: $3.61M
The Dodgers, like the Yankees, worked diligently to stay below the luxury tax this season, and it appears they will be successful. The adherence to controlling costs may have hampered the Dodgers’ ability to reach for another impactful piece down the stretch, though adding the best available trade target in Manny Machado cannot be considered sitting back at the trade deadline. With the Dodgers seemingly able to reset the tax, they could jump heavy into the offseason market, which includes a potential extension for Clayton Kershaw, who can opt out of his current deal.
Milwaukee Brewers
Payroll: $115.4
Cost per win: $1.20M
Team WAR: 43.1
Cost per WAR: $2.68M
The Brewers improved by nine games from their resurgent 2017 season, in which they fell short of the postseason, finishing one game back of the second wild-card slot. The Brewers paid less than each National League club per win and per WAR, finishing only behind the Athletics among playoff clubs. The Brewers tout a young manager with a youthful player base and talented veterans, including two MVP candidates, which bodes well for the immediate future from both a performance and cost basis.