It’s that time of year again—for the fourth season on this site I’ll be presenting my Opening Day payroll calculation.
With pre-arbitration salaries now reported, the only loose thread right now would be the giant Bryan Reynolds’ extension cloud hanging over everything; however, all reporting seems to indicate his 2023 won’t change if an extension is signed, so I don’t think we’ll see any changes there anyway.
For a more in-depth, line-by-line breakdown, check out (and save) my payroll tracker that I’ll keep updated throughout the season. As a matter of practicality, my estimates assume that every transaction will be the last; however, we know that’s not the case. Moves will happen all season, and I’ll be tracking every one and their effect on the final figure.
Guaranteed Salaries: $71,752,500
For a second year in a row Ke’Bryan Hayes holds the honor of being the team’s highest paid player; however, there is a new player in the number two spot.
After a relative free agent spending spree this winter—$30,375,000, the most since the 2016-17 offseason when the team signed Iván Nova and Daniel Hudson—Rich Hill surpasses Reynolds (for now, at least) for second on the team.
Hill joins a solid cast of veterans fortifying the team, who along with Ji Man Choi make up $51,775,000 of this total. The remaining arbitration class—Choi not included—total $7,487,500, while the rest of the difference is made up of pre-arbitration salaries.
As I always like to point out, opening day figures can be slightly inflated due to players starting on the injured list. Three players ended up there—JT Brubaker, Jarlín García, and Robert Stephenson—and while an injured player’s salary still counts against the total, they also need replaced with another player making a major league salary.
Of course, Stephenson could come back when his 15 days are up and payroll would go down roughly $500,000, but that full replacement salary will still be baked into the starting figure. The longer Brubaker or García stay on the IL, the less volatile those swings will be.
In total, this factors in two long-term contracts, six free agent contracts, five deals to avoid arbitration, and seventeen agreement/renewals.
Minor League Salary: $1,643,342
I covered this extensively last week, but this is the total allocated for players not on the active roster, with twelve players accounting for the total.
Amounts range from $261,538 (Yerry De Los Santos) to $58,800 (Mike Burrows, Endy Rodriguez, Colin Selby, and Jared Triolo).
Outright Assignments: $1,642,400
As has been covered here extensively this offseaon, Miguel Andújar signed a guaranteed contract at the tender deadline to avoid the arbitration process completely, guaranteeing his salary in full for 2023. So, despite being outrighted to the minors, his contract is still on the books.
Also, I’ve included Ryan Vilade here, as he was designated for assignment before the season opened. Vilade ended up being outrighted, so in season payroll won’t change at all based on this transaction.
2023 Payroll Projection: $75,038,242
Looking back, this is the highest opening day figure the club has had since 2019, when they started at over $79 million.
In addition to the figure above, I calculated the Collective Balance Tax payroll—just as teams have both—which started at $91,454,909. This includes an estimated $16 million in player benefits, as well as the Pirates’ $1.67 million share of the pre-arbitration bonus pool.
You can find these totals in the payroll spreadsheets as well, and I will be tracking both of these figures as the season progresses.
