Yankees Have Highest Average Salary for 14th Straight Season As MLB Average Rises to $3.2 Million

by NESN Staff on Sun, Dec 9, 2012 at 1:31PM

All those grumblings about the Yankees just throwing money at their problems? Well, they’re true, of course.

But, while the Yankees have the highest average salary in Major League Baseball for the 14th straight year, they’re just part of the overall upward swing the league is experiencing.

Baseball’s average salary is up to a record $3.2 million this year, a 3.8 percent increase, according to The Associated Press.

While part of that is due to the minimum salary going up to $480,000 from $414,000, the bigger reason continues to be the increase in team revenues, which leads to clubs being willing to pay stars beyond the standard inflation rates. (Zack Greinke, anyone?)

The Yankees are paying an average salary of $6.88 million, most of that thanks to $20 million-plus salaries for Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira. (Derek Jeter ($16 million) and Robinson Cano ($14 million) are relatively cheaper options.)

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are challenging baseball’s most spending-friendly club. Now second with an average salary of $5.55 million, the club’s continued willingness to try to fill every spot on its roster with some kind of All-Star means the team will likely be paying for it, too.

The biggest surprise, however, is the thriftiest club. The Marlins may challenge for that crown soon enough, but the $685,000-per-player Astros are winning that sad race right now.