Pittsburgh Pirates: A Look at the Team’s Current Payroll

The Pittsburgh Pirates still have some moves to make this offseason.  So what is their current payroll looking like as of now?

Yesterday was the salary arbitration deadline for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball.  Each team had to either reach an agreement or both the players and the teams had to file for salary arbitration.  The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to come to terms with both of their remaining arbitration-eligible, reliever Keone Kela and outfielder Corey Dickerson. The team and reliever Michael Feliz already agreed to terms earlier this offseason.

So in terms of in-house priorities, the Pittsburgh Pirates have taken care of all that they can barring any extensions.  The team still needs a shortstop, and potentially another starting pitcher and relief help. So with a few acquisitions likely yet to occur this offseason, where is the team’s current payroll?

Well, the Pittsburgh Pirates top-paid player for the 2019 season has also been the player subjected to the most trade rumors in Francisco Cervelli.  Cervelli is due to make $11.5 million next season, which is also his final year of club control.  The only other player that is projected to get double figures in terms of salary is center fielder Starling Marte.  Marte is in a way entering his final year of team control as well, but he does have two very affordable club options over the next two seasons.  Marte is scheduled to make $10 million next season.

The next highest salary for the Pittsburgh Pirates is Corey Dickerson.  The outfielder is in his final year of arbitration, and as a result, team control.  Dickerson was one of the players that settled rather than going for arbitration.  He is going to make $8.5 million.  After Dickerson comes another former Tampa Bay Rays player in Chris Archer. The former Rays, and now hopefully Pittsburgh Pirates, ace will make $7.6 million.

Those are the team’s biggest salaries that will make up a significant chunk of their payroll.  Here is the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates salaries for the 2019 season:

Gregory Polanco: 5.5 million

• Felipe Vasquez: $4 million
• Keone Kela: $3.175 million
• Jung Ho Kang: $3 million
• Lonnie Chisenhall: $2.75 million
• Jordan Lyles:  $2.05 million
• Michael Feliz: $800,000

Everyone else on the Pittsburgh Pirates is making close to or league minimum.  This includes some of their top players like Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, Adam Frazier, and Colin Moran.  So what is the Pittsburgh Pirates total payroll right now?  If the season started tomorrow, the team would have a payroll of approximately $68 million.  This leaves them room to add a legit shortstop and potentially more being that their payroll was at $86 million last season. Of course, if the team moves Cervelli it could open up even more money.