The Chicago Cubs have the third largest payroll in major league baseball this year, and for the money they have spent the results they have produced are clearly not in line. The Cubs so far are 15-20 and are five games behind in their division.
Much like the other teams tat the top of the payroll list the Cubs have a lot of advantages. They sit in an area populated by some 9.5 million people; they play in a ball park that is a tourist destination for baseball purist. The stadium sits some 48 thousand folks, but the seats are sold at a premium due to the historical nature of Wrigley Field. An average ticket at this ball park cost around 48 dollars.
The team also owns a chunk of the regional Comcast Sports net, so they have access to a larger revenue stream that most other teams do not have. So far in 2010 they have sold 93% of their ticket inventory. In 2009 they sold 96% of their tickets overall.
While the Chicago sporting community supports their Cubs very well, there has been a growing resentment over the management of the team that has turned off a significant portion of their fan base. This team was recently sold to the Ricketts family and they seem to be reversing that some.
The Ricketts have made major investments to Wrigley Field and it seems likely that major changes will be coming to the Front Office staff, managerial staff, and the roster. With all that being said here is a look at the Cubs 2010 payroll numbers:
Total Payroll: 146,609,000
Average Salary: 5,429, 963
Median Salary: 2,125,000
And now a breakdown of those payroll dollars:
| Player | Position | Salary |
| Alfonso Soriano | OF | 19,000,000 |
| Carlos Zambrano | RP | 18,875,000 |
| Aramis Ramirez | 3B | 16,750,000 |
| Kosuke Fukodome | OF | 14,000,000 |
| Ryan Dempster | SP | 13,500,000 |
| Dereck Lee | 1B | 13,250,000 |
| Ted Lilly | SP | 13,000,000 |
| Carlos Silva | SP | 12,750,000 |
| Xavier Nady | OF | 3,300,000 |
| Marion Byrd | OF | 3,000,000 |
| Jeff Samardzija | P | 3,000,000 |
| John Garbow | RP | 2,700,000 |
| Ryan Theriot | SS | 2,600,000 |
| Carlos Marmot | CL | 2,125,000 |
| Mike Fontenot | 2B | 1,000,000 |
| Jeff Baker | 2B | 975k |
| Sean Marshall | RP | 950k |
| Chad Tracy | IF | 900k |
| Angel Guzman | P | 825k |
| Tom Gorzelanny | SP | 800k |
| Koyle Hill | C | 700k |
| Geovany Soto | C | 575k |
| Randy Wells | SP | 427k |
| Justin Berg | RP | 403k |
| Esmailin Caridad | RP | 403k |
| Tyler Colvin | OF | 401k |
| James Russell | RP | 400k |
*Payroll numbers compiled by USA Today
Related Links:
- Chicago Cubs news and notes
- 2010 MLB Payroll rankings
- MTR Baseball.com
- The Business of Major League Baseball
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