Cashing out

It was a metaphorical jolly stomping in the Fens - an early season referendum on the moves made by Yankees' GM Brian Cashman.

The Sox beat the Yanks in every conceivable way over a three game stretch - out-slugging, out pitching, and just plain out-executing the highest paid team in the majors. The Yankees, with over $200 million in annual salary (since the start of the 2005 season the Steinbrenners have spent over $1 billion on the team and seen their record slide) - again - the Bombers are off to a 9-9 start, have the worst bullpen in baseball, and have the worst overall ERA of any pitching staff in the majors.

Here's what else $200 million has bought New York -

A team outscored 25-16 in three games by their arch-rival.

A team that saw 11 runs and two leads evaporate when the bullpen entered the game.

A team whose second biggest free-agent pitching acquisition was smoked for eight earned after being spotted a 6-0 lead.

A team that saw home stolen on them with two outs in a close game. Let's face it - that last one shows a complete lack of respect for the Yankees. There's no aura left, they're just another team.

And to compound matters - the Red Sox don't even have the second highest payroll in baseball - they're fourth (and a lot closer to being seventh than they are to being third). They lost ugly, are unable to hold a lead, and just look brutal in the field (great play at first by the sure-handed Mark Texiera, huh?).

Anyone else wondering which Celtic team is going to show up for game five? The one that's shot ugly in the close games, or the one that dismantled the Bulls on their home-court in game three?

Kudos to the Bruins for moving on. It would be nice to see Boston land the Stanley Cup before the end of the decade to get that final jewel in the championship crown for the big four. They do it, that will mean that between 2001 and now the city will be home to three Super Bowls, two World Series, an NBA (I still think a second one of these is unlikely this year) and an NHL championship. Not bad.

The quick and the dead...

There's a lot to be said about setting up a salary cap structure for Major League Baseball.

Even with one in football, there's a lot of dead money under the caps of a lot of teams. Sometimes it's because of players no longer on rosters, sometimes you can consider the money dead even with the player on the roster.

The San Francisco 49ers project to have $3.64 million in dead money under their cap next season.

Those are players no longer on their roster.

The Patriots will consistently put players on IR for the season, starting at the end of training camp. That's money that counts against their cap, not counted as dead, but it may as well be.

Then there are those players who just take up space on rosters. Usually they don't stick around
and the dead money hit on an NFL team is minimal.

Baseball is different.

In MLB there are players that just don't live up to their contract, sometimes receiving contracts they haven't earned. Other times demonstrating the requisite talent, however, fail to stay on the field due to injury issues or a lack of toughness.

JD Drew will come to the mind of Red Sox fans - a player who received a fat contract from the Sox who essentially were in a bidding war with themselves for his services.

While the owners need to be protected from themselves. Fans need to be protected from the owners. Teams like the Marlins should not be allowed to spend fewer dollars than they receive from their cut of the Yankees luxury tax.

Teams and fans of teams that aren't the Red Sox or Yankees whine about the spending of those teams, but the Orioles are carrying $11 million in dead money into this season over one player. Just before the season started, the team cut oft injured outfielder Jay Gibbons. While it's admirable that the team would cut its losses with a player that has a hard time staying on the field, it should be noted that they evidently feel they can eat an $11 million salary without a problem.

If that's the case, then why can't they spend in a way that keeps them in the neighborhood of their division rivals?

Honestly, other teams have proven it's not the spending itself, but how you spend.

That said - what about the ridiculousness that the Brewers engaged in during this off-season...

Gagne, baby Gagne...

After a season during which Eric Gagne, once the premier closer in the majors, blew a number of hold for the Red Sox down the stretch, the Milwaukee Brewers signed Gagne to a one-year $10 million contract. This signing happened before the Mitchell Report essentially said that his couple of years of domination came out of a syringe.

On opening day Gagne blew the save in a 3-0 game, getting smoked on a three run shot by a rookie. Gagne later got the win, but showed nothing to merit the Brewers' $10 million worth of faith in him.

If Gagne doesn't break, at the very least, the 20 save margin,or a combined 30 saves and holds, that's just more dead money on a major league roster.

The people that look at contracts like this and don't think it's time for a salary cap should go get professional help. Lord knows, if I'm a fan of a team like a Kansas City or a Milwaukee that decides to go out and make a big splash in free agency by signing someone like Gagne, and then hearing the party line that my team can't compete with the big-markets...well, I'm just gonna be really pissed.

Money spent

As always, going into the season, the Yankees had the highest payroll in baseball. If and when Roger Clemens joins the team, the Bronx Bombers will have a payroll in excess of $200 million dollars.

While the Yankees have shown some life of late, the 2007 edition has to be considered one of the biggest busts in the majors to date this season. With only 24 wins, so far the Boss has payed about $8 million per victory this season. If the Yankees stay on their current pace, they will win 72 games at an approximate cost of $2.78 million per victory.

The arch-rival Red Sox, on the other hand, are on a pace to win 109 games with a $143 million payroll, or a cost of $1.31 million.

Do I think either team will finish the season with those records? No. I believe the Sox won't be quite that good in the end, and I doubt the Yankees will be that bad. However, that is the current pace of each team, so that is what I am going to work with.

Interesting coincidence - only three division leaders are the highest paid team in their respective divisions. Only the Mets, Angels, and Dodgers lead theirs.

Currently, the respective places of the other highest paid per division - Yankees (4th, 24-30), Chicago White Sox (4th, 24-27), Chicago Cubs (4th, 23-31).

I guess it goes to show that it's not how much is spent rather than how it's spent. For a breakdown of this season's team salaries, take a gander below.

The following numbers, ganked from ESPN.com represent salaries heading into the year -

1. NY Yankees	195,229,045
2. Boston	143,123,714
3. NY Mets	116,115,819
4. Chicago Sox	109,290,167
5. LA Angels	109,251,333
6. LA Dodgers	108,704,524
7. Seattle	106,516,833
8. Chicago Cubs	99,936,999
9. Detroit	95,180,369
10. Baltimore	95,107,808
11. San Francisco	90,469,056
12. St. Louis	90,286,823
13. Atlanta	89,492,685
14. Philadelphia	89,368,213
15. Houston	87,759,500
16. Oakland	79,938,369
17. Toronto	79,925,600
18. Milwaukee	71,986,500
19. Minnesota	71,439,500
20. Cincinnati	69,654,980
21. Texas	68,818,675
22. Kansas City	67,366,500
23. Cleveland	61,289,667
24. San Diego	58,235,567
25. Colorado	54,424,000
26. Arizona	52,067,546
27. Pittsburgh	38,604,500
28. Washington	37,347,500
29. Florida	30,507,000
30. Tampa Bay	24,124,200
Note: Team salaries do not represent full team payroll. Number listed includes current salary for all players currently on the roster.