Boston ain't eliminated from nothing. Their payroll is EQUAL to the Yanks if you count the Dice-K posting fee on top of them paying Manny's $7 mill salary to play in LA from here on out. That's a posting fee most teams can't afford and a salary for a guy to play for another team most teams can't afford. When your in the $200 mill payroll range.......your never eliminated until the standings say so!!!!!
Plus they have the starting pitching to carry that team. It will be tougher now.....no doubt but I ain't counting them out.
Hmm. Instead of spewing forth nothing lets use numbers.
Yankees 2008 Payroll = 209 million
RedSox 2008 Payfoll = 133 million
These numbers include everyone that started the year on the roster including Manny and everyone that was traded.
Yankees got rid of Farsworth(6m) but picked up Nady (3.3m) and Marte (2m) so they saved .5 million.
Sox are paying for Manny already so subtract nothing but pickup Jason Bay for a third of the season at 5.25m so we will call it 2 million more in salary. Hansen and Moss made little so we won't count them.
Yankees = 208.5 million
RedSox = 135.0 million
Posting fees. Actually the posting fee for Dice-K was added to last years payroll since they had to pay it all at once. But lets add the whole 51 million to this years payroll, because you said so.
Yankees = 208.5 million
RedSox = 186.0 million
208.5 - 186 = 22.5 million still not equal or about 11% larger. But wait posting fees makes me remember a Yankee great called Kei Igawa. I haven't seen him pitch much but do remember the Yankee's posting 26 million to get him. If we are gonna add the Dice-K posting to the Sox payroll lets not forget the great Igawa.
Update......
Yankees = 234.5 million
RedSox = 186.0 million
234.5 - 186.0 = 48.5 million or larger than the opening day payrolls of A's, Marlin's, or Rays.
This number represents an figure 21% larger than the Sox payroll, posting fee's included ofcourse. :hi5: