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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 2:23 p.m., Tuesday, December 23, 2008

MLB: Detroit Tigers 4th in payroll, Yankees tops

Associated Press

2008 FINAL BASEBALL PAYROLLS

NEW YORK — Final 2008 payrolls for the 30 major league teams, according to information received by clubs from the commissioner's office. Figures are for 40-man rosters and include salaries and pro-rated shares of signing bonuses, earned incentive bonuses, non-cash compensation, buyouts of unexercised options and cash transactions. In some cases, parts of salaries that are deferred are discounted to reflect present-day values.

N.Y. Yankees $222,519,480

Boston 147,075,645

New York Mets 144,693,962

Detroit 136,198,404

Chicago Cubs 130,508,691

Los Angeles Angels 128,142,467

Los Angeles Dodgers 125,864,496

Seattle 120,456,113

Chicago White Sox 113,641,026

Philadelphia 112,654,711

St. Louis 109,989,046

Houston 100,189,948

Toronto 98,343,520

Atlanta 92,494,314

Milwaukee 90,324,347

Cincinnati 82,886,440

San Francisco 82,074,873

Arizona 80,998,526

Baltimore 78,888,250

Cleveland 78,663,582

Texas 78,640,138

Colorado 74,791,621

San Diego 71,212,182

Kansas City 69,297,547

Minnesota 65,096,667

Washington 59,699,668

Oakland 55,223,294

Tampa Bay 51,020,720

Pittsburgh 50,764,410

Florida 27,003,450

Total 2,879,357,538

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NEW YORK — The Yankees have no equal — in spending, not in winning.

Even before their latest spending spree, the Yankees finished 2008 with a record payroll of $222.5 million.

The Detroit Tigers were fourth at $136.2 million.

The baseball commissioner released the figures, which show the Yankees with a $75.4 million lead over the next-highest spender, the Boston Red Sox at $147.1 million.

New York's luxury tax payment of $26,862,702 was just $141,000 shy of the Florida Marlins' entire payroll, which came to $27,003,450.

The New York Mets were third at $144.7 million.