Cleveland Guardians and the case of the vanishing payroll

There was a time when the Cleveland Guardians franchise was one of the best in baseball. Although they failed to win the World Series, their run at the end of the 1990s was impressive. They had a strong roster and were a viable contender year in and year out; the AL Central was their personal playground.

The Guardians’ payroll reflected that commitment to contending. While $76 million may not seem like much these days, that was the eighth highest payroll in the game back in 2000. It showed that the franchise wanted to win and would spend to either keep, or bring in, the players that were considered vital to that mission.

Cleveland Guardians see payroll shrink in past two decades

Considering that player salaries have increased, it would make sense that the Guardians payroll would have increased as well. But that is not the case. As it currently stands, the Guardians have just $35 million in payroll on the books for the coming year.

That number is going to change. As arbitration occurs and those salaries are determined, the Guardians’ payroll will increase. Chances are, the final number will be close to $50 million, provided that they do not find a way to jettison more salary.

It is not as though Guardians ownership does not have the money. Their ownership is actually wealthier than the Yankees’ owners. It is also notable that the value of the Guardians franchise has increased by over $1 billion since 2000.

Obviously, franchise value has nothing to do with the team’s payroll. But it does undercut the claim that owning a major league franchise is a losing proposition. It is difficult to imagine that any money sink would have such a high value. The Guardians could easily increase their payroll; they just choose not to.

The Cleveland Guardians payroll is currently less than half what it was in 2000. Considering how much franchise values have increased, it is fair to wonder why.