,601,93412. Baltimore Orioles$59,215,35413. Anaheim Angels$58,739,88014. Colorado Rockies$56,049,52315. Tampa Bay Devil Rays$55,157,59316. San Diego Padres$54,675,79917. Toronto Blue Jays$54,551,59318. San Francisco Giants$54,235,84119. Houston Astros$51,999,46120. Chicago Cubs$51,078,36621. Chicago White Sox$36,944,28622. Philadelphia Phillies$36,683,83223. Cincinnati Reds$35,134,33924. Milwaukee Brewers$33,765,38825. Oakland Athletics$32,693,83326. Pittsburgh Pirates$31,939,33627. Montreal Expos$27,970,27328. Florida Marlins$25,864,69729. Kansas City Royals$24,468,44030. Minnesota Twins$15,822,000 Totals are based on rosters as of August 31,2000.Year after year baseball owners keep saying that the game is nearing economic collapse, teams are losing money, the industry is $2 billion dollars in debt, drowning in its own red ink, and there is a skyrocketing financial and competitive imbalance between big and small market clubs. The Commissioner Bud Selig says that the game needs major changes in the way its financial affairs are handled, and that baseball cannot continue down the path it is presently on. But, while they say one thing they seem to be doing another, teams still are continuing to sign players to bigger and bigger contracts at an ever-increasing rate. In October of 2000 Carlos Delgado was signed to a new record setting deal that pays, the Toronto 1st Baseman, an average of $17 million per year over six years. That deal raised the annual salary record from $15 million to $17 million. Which is an increase of 12 percent over the previous high salary set by Kevin Brown of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1999. Just Eight weeks later, during a three-day period at the end of December 2000, came $533 million worth of player contracts for just three players. Pitcher Mike Hampton signed a record seven-year $123.8 million contract with the New York Mets. Hampton’s record lasted less than two full days as the biggest deal in baseball h...
