MLB Financials by Year

Payrolls by Year 1929 | 1933 | 1939 | 1943 | 1946 1950 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 1956 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 2005 | 2006 | Sources/More Info

1980 Baseball Payrolls

This is a team-by-team payroll listings for the 1980 season. The league per-player average was $142,746 and the average team payroll was $3,568,662. You can also view figures for 1979 or 1981. Other financial information is available for many seasons using the tool on the right.

1980 PAYROLLS 1980 PAYROLLS 1979/1981 RANK TEAM AVERAGE TOTAL 1 New York Yankees  $242,937   $6,073,425  2 Philadelphia Phillies  $221,274   $5,531,850  3 Pittsburgh Pirates  $199,185   $4,979,625  4 California Angels  $191,014   $4,775,350  5 Boston Red Sox  $184,686   $4,617,150  6 Los Angeles Dodgers  $183,124   $4,578,100  7 Houston Astros  $176,720   $4,418,000  8 St. Louis Cardinals  $173,480   $4,337,000  9 Cincinnati Reds  $162,655   $4,066,375  10 Chicago Cubs  $160,209   $4,005,225  11 Milwaukee Brewers  $159,086   $3,977,150  12 Montreal Expos  $158,196   $3,954,900  13 Texas Rangers  $148,792   $3,719,800  14 San Francisco Giants  $148,265   $3,706,625  15 Atlanta Braves  $147,989   $3,699,725  16 San Diego Padres  $138,978   $3,474,450  17 Cleveland Indians  $127,505   $3,187,625  18 New York Mets  $126,488   $3,162,200  19 Baltimore Orioles  $116,156   $2,903,900  20 Kansas City Royals  $100,453   $2,511,325  21 Detroit Tigers  $86,988   $2,174,700  22 Seattle Mariners  $82,244   $2,056,100  23 Minnesota Twins  $80,358   $2,008,950  24 Chicago White Sox  $72,415   $1,810,375  25 Toronto Blue Jays  $67,218   $1,680,450  26 Oakland Athletics  $54,994   $1,374,850

Source: The Sporting News 1983 Baseball Guide.

Baseball Economics sources/bibliography:
Business of Baseball, The by Albert Powers
Baseball, Inc.: The National Pastime As Big Business by Frank P. Jozsa Jr.
Baseball and Billions: A Probing Look Inside the Big Business of Our National Pastime by Andrew Zimbalist
Built to Win: Inside Stories and Leadership Strategies from Baseball's Winningest GM by John Schuerholz
Free Agency and Competitive Balance in Baseball by Ronald W. Cox
The Formation, Sometimes Absorption and Mostly Inevitable Demise of 18 Professional Baseball Organizations, 1871 to Present by David Pietrusza.
Getting in the Game: Inside Baseball's Winter Meetings by Josh Lewin
State of Baseball Management: Decision-Making in the Best and Worst Teams, 1993-2003 by Scott Barzilla
In the Best Interests of Baseball? The Revolutionary Reign of Bud Selig by Andrew Zimbalist
May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy, by Andrew Zimbalist
The Inside Pitch ... and More: Baseball's Business and the Public Trust by Gene A. Budig
Early Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1825-1908 by Dean A. Sullivan.
Middle Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1900-1948 by Dean A. Sullivan.
Late Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball 1945-1972 by Dean A. Sullivan
Total Baseball: The Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia by John Thorn, et al.