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Orcin · 01-20-2014, 01:52 PM

Budget and Finances

The Cardinals are a big market team with good fan loyalty. Bill Dewitt III is a charitable owner. The 2021 budget is $192 million, ranking third in MLB. The Cardinals had the #3 revenues and payroll in MLB last season (behind the Dodgers and Yankees). Mr. Dewitt took $18 million in profit, and I assume he is happy since he increased the budget.

Given such a large budget, I decided to be among the leaders in MLB in both scouting and player development expenses. It requires a huge ($20M) increase to get into the top five in both categories. I settled on $15M scouting and $18M player development, slightly more than the Yankees but less than the rebuilding Orioles and Tigers. Both figures are double the major league average. (Note: This diversion of funds away from payroll will somewhat neutralize the large market budget and charitable owner.)

The additional $20M in scouting/development spending quickly eliminated any budget surplus. The current estimate for 2021 player salaries is nearly $150 million (same as last year). My target is $140 million because I like to ignore playoff revenue and leave some slack in my budget, but I may not get down to that level this year or next. There is some work to do in sorting out the inherited contracts, and I want to “win now”.

In preparation for arbitration decisions and free agency, I will take an inventory of the player assets and build a road map for the 40-man roster. However, the first order of business is to hire a highly-experienced “win now” manager and coaching staff.

Personnel

I prioritized experience and ratings to select candidates. Offers were made quickly before the best candidates were hired by other clubs. All of my offers were accepted.

Manager: Joe Girardi (age 56) – was manager of the New York Yankees, fired after the 2020 season. Girardi has a record of 1227-1041 (.541) in his 14-year career.

Bench Coach: Joe McEwing (age 48) – was third base coach for the Chicago White Sox, fired with manager Robin Ventura after the 2020 season.

Pitching Coach: Dave Righetti (age 61) – was pitching coach of the San Francisco Giants for 21 years, fired after the 2020 season.

Hitting Coach: Lloyd McClendon (age 61) – was bench coach of the Texas Rangers, fired after the 2020 season. Prior to that, he had been a hitting coach for multiple teams.

Scout: Dan Kantrovitz (age 42) is signed for the 2021 season. He will be retained and considered for an extension.

01-20-2014, 01:52 PM	#25
Orcin Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 9,878	Budget and Finances The Cardinals are a big market team with good fan loyalty. Bill Dewitt III is a charitable owner. The 2021 budget is $192 million, ranking third in MLB. The Cardinals had the #3 revenues and payroll in MLB last season (behind the Dodgers and Yankees). Mr. Dewitt took $18 million in profit, and I assume he is happy since he increased the budget. Given such a large budget, I decided to be among the leaders in MLB in both scouting and player development expenses. It requires a huge ($20M) increase to get into the top five in both categories. I settled on $15M scouting and $18M player development, slightly more than the Yankees but less than the rebuilding Orioles and Tigers. Both figures are double the major league average. (Note: This diversion of funds away from payroll will somewhat neutralize the large market budget and charitable owner.) The additional $20M in scouting/development spending quickly eliminated any budget surplus. The current estimate for 2021 player salaries is nearly $150 million (same as last year). My target is $140 million because I like to ignore playoff revenue and leave some slack in my budget, but I may not get down to that level this year or next. There is some work to do in sorting out the inherited contracts, and I want to “win now”. In preparation for arbitration decisions and free agency, I will take an inventory of the player assets and build a road map for the 40-man roster. However, the first order of business is to hire a highly-experienced “win now” manager and coaching staff. Personnel I prioritized experience and ratings to select candidates. Offers were made quickly before the best candidates were hired by other clubs. All of my offers were accepted. Manager: Joe Girardi (age 56) – was manager of the New York Yankees, fired after the 2020 season. Girardi has a record of 1227-1041 (.541) in his 14-year career. Bench Coach: Joe McEwing (age 48) – was third base coach for the Chicago White Sox, fired with manager Robin Ventura after the 2020 season. Pitching Coach: Dave Righetti (age 61) – was pitching coach of the San Francisco Giants for 21 years, fired after the 2020 season. Hitting Coach: Lloyd McClendon (age 61) – was bench coach of the Texas Rangers, fired after the 2020 season. Prior to that, he had been a hitting coach for multiple teams. Scout: Dan Kantrovitz (age 42) is signed for the 2021 season. He will be retained and considered for an extension.