The New York Yankees have the highest payroll in baseball. Not surprisingly they have the highest-paid player in baseball in Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod will be paid $32 million for the 2011 season. That's only $4.1 less than the entire Kansas City Royals team will be paid.
Does the production at the plate justify the investment?
I rated the performance so far this season for the highest-paid fielder from each major league team. The resulting ranking was based on offensive production—hits, runs, RBI and games played. The data was normalized for the salary of each player and then scored.
Some readers may find the ranking unfair because the data was not averaged on a per-game basis and would lower the ranking of any player that has been on the disabled list. While injuries are a part of the game, the salary is still being paid and the player is not producing.
Here's a look at how the top-paid fielders from each team stack up.
The results are through July 1st, marking the approximate halfway point of the season.
Who's getting their money's worth, and what teams should be asking for a refund?
No. 30: Jason Kendall, Kansas City Royals, $3.8 Million
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Not surprisingly a Kansas City Royal would kick off the ranking.
With a salary of $3.8 million, Jason Kendall is the highest-paid Royal to play the field.
Because of offseason shoulder surgery Kendall has not been in the lineup, currently on the 60-day DL.
No. 29: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins, $23 Million
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Joe Mauer's $23 million salary in 2011 is the fifth highest in baseball.
Recovering from bilateral leg weakness the Minnesota Twins have gotten only 22 games from Mauer so far this season.
The three-time batting champion is only hitting .241 with seven RBI.
The Twins are only getting 1.65 hits for each million dollars they've shelled out so far this season.
No. 28: Rafael Furcal, Los Angeles Dodgers, $13.0 Million
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Rafael Furcal, who will be paid $13 million this season by the Los Angeles Dodgers, is batting .212 with only two extra-base hits in 66 at-bats.
The Dodgers shortstop has been limited to only 17 games this season after suffering a strained oblique.
No. 27: Vernon Wells, Los Angeles Angels, $26.3 Million
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After 12 seasons playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in January.
It would seem their timing was perfect as Wells, the second-highest paid player behind Alex Rodriguez, is having his worst season statistically in his career.
In 56 games Wells is only hitting .212. With a $26.3 million salary the Angles are currently paying $505,000 for each RBI, or $279,000 for each hit.
Wells is currently seventh on the Angels with 26 RBI.
No. 26: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees, $32 Million
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When you are getting paid approximately $197,530 for each game, even when you don't play, it would take some obscene numbers to make the top of this list.
While the New York Yankees third baseman is having a decent season so far, batting .300 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI, the Yanks are only getting five hits for every million dollars they pay Alex Rodriguez.
No. 25: Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies, $20.3 Million
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In his 15th season with the Colorado Rockies, Todd Helton will make $20.3 million. With the seventh-highest salary in baseball, the Rockies are getting 7.5 hits per million they pay their first baseman.
Helton has a .318 batting average with 78 hits in 71 games.
No. 24: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs, $19 Million
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With a $19 million salary the Chicago Cubs left fielder, Alfonso Soriano, is the 12th-highest paid player in baseball.
Currently batting .265 in 66 games with 14 home runs and 35 RBI, the Cubs are getting 6.42 hits per million spent on Soriano.
No. 23: Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians, $13 Million
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Limited to only 43 games this season, Travis Hafner, the Cleveland Indians designated hitter, is hitting .336 with seven home runs and 29 RBI.
With the fifth-lowest payroll in the majors, the surprising Indians have been in first place of the American League Central for most of the season.
The $13 million salary that Cleveland is paying Hafner is almost a bargain in today's market.
Having not played in the field since 2007, Hafner needs to make his mark at the plate. The Indians are getting 4.5 RBI per million dollars in salary.
No. 22: Aaron Rowand, San Francisco Giants, $13.6 Million
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For the world champion San Francisco Giants, center fielder Aaron Rowand has the third-highest salary behind pitchers Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum.
Making $13.6 million in 2011, the Giants have received only 2.2 RBI for every million spent.
Rowand is currently batting only .250 through 65 games.
No. 21: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners, $18 Million
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In his first 10 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro Suzuki has averaged 224 hits per season; with a 2011 salary of $18 million that results in a cost of $80,357 per hit for the two-time batting champion.
Suzuki, who has never finished a season hitting below .300, is currently hitting .271 for the Mariners.
The Mariners are paying approximately $209,000 per run Suzuki has scored so far in the first half of the season.
No. 20: Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals, $16.3 Million
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If the St. Louis Cardinals have any shot at keeping first baseman Albert Pujols they will have to pay him considerably more than the $16.3 million they are paying left fielder Matt Holliday in 2011.
According to USA Today Holliday has the 21st-highest salary in baseball.
Holliday is having a good season for the first-place Cardinals batting .322 in 58 games with 10 home runs and 40 RBI.
No. 19: Carlos Lee, Houston Astros, $19 Million
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Since signing as a free agent with the Houston Astros, Carlos Lee has been handsomely paid. His $19 million salary in 2011 is the 12th highest in MLB.
During that time the Astros have averaged 77 wins per season and have not made the playoffs.
With only seven home runs in 79 games this season, Lee is on pace to finish with the lowest in his 13-year career.
The last-place Astros are only getting 4.7 RBI per million they are paying Lee.
No. 18: Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox, $14.8 Million
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Currently on the DL with a strained left hamstring, Carl Crawford has not delivered like the Boston Red Sox had expected when they signed him to a contract that will pay the left fielder $14.8 million in 2011.
A career .294 hitter, Crawford is only batting .243 in 67 games this season for the Red Sox.
With the third-highest salary on the Red Sox roster, behind pitchers Josh Beckett and John Lackey, Boston is only getting 4.19 RBI per million dollars spent.
No. 17: Carlos Beltran, New York Mets, $19.3 Million
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The New York Mets will pay center fielder Carlos Beltran $19.3 million in 2011 making him the 11th-highest paid player in baseball.
Through 80 games Beltran's numbers are pretty much matching what he has delivered in his 13-year career.
Beltran is batting .282 with 43 runs scored, 12 home runs and 54 RBI.
His 5.6 RBI per million in salary is the highest so far in the ranking.
No. 16: Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox, $12.5 Million
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With the likes of Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn on the roster I was surprised that center fielder Alex Rios was the highest-paid hitter on the Chicago White Sox roster.
Rios' $12.5 million salary is third on the Sox roster behind pitchers Jake Peavy and Mark Buehrle.
So far in 79 games for Chicago, Rios is hitting .223 with only six home runs and 20 RBI.
The White Sox are only getting 3.2 RBI per million dollars in salary from Rios. Compare that to 5.2 RBI per million they are paying Konerko.
Currently third in the weak AL Central, the White Sox may not be getting enough for their money.
That wraps up the first half of the ranking—on to the top 15!
No. 15: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies, $20 Million
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The Philadelphia Phillies will pay first baseman Ryan Howard $20 million in 2011. Along with pitcher Roy Halladay, this makes Howard the highest-paid player on the Phillies squad, and the eighth highest in baseball.
Through 82 games this season Howard is batting .257—20 points below his career average of .277.
His 17 home runs and 66 RBI lead the first-place Phillies in the NL East.
His 6.6 RBI per million dollars is the ninth highest in the ranking.
No. 14: Chris Snyder, Pittsburgh Pirates, $6.2 Million
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This may be the first surprise for many people reading this ranking. With only a $6.2 million salary (yeah, only!) Chris Snyder is the highest-paid Pittsburgh Pirates fielder.
In his second season with the Pirates, Snyder is hitting .271 in only 34 games with three home runs and 17 RBI.
Pittsburgh is getting 10.97 games for every million dollars spent—the 10th highest in the ranking.
Just as the high salaries of Alex Rodriguez, Todd Helton and Travis Hafner pushed them lower in the ranking, Snyder's relatively low salary is raising his ranking.
No. 13: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers, $20 Million
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Tied with Ryan Howard with the eighth-highest salary, Miguel Cabrera will make $20 million this season from the Detroit Tigers.
Cabrera leads the AL having played in 83 games this season—every game Detroit has played.
Currently with a .331 average, Cabrera leads the second-place Tigers with 17 home runs and 56 RBI.
No. 12: Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins, $11 Million
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For the last-place Florida Marlins in the NL East, they will pay Hanley Ramirez $11 million this season.
Ramirez, in his sixth season with the Marlins, is having one of the worst seasons statistically in his career.
Only batting .222 in 64 games with five home runs and 24 RBI, Ramirez is on pace for career lows.
Ramirez is scoring 7.1 runs per million dollars the Marlins are paying him.
No. 11: Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves, $14 Million
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Chipper Jones, the switch-hitting third baseman, is in his 18th season playing with the Atlanta Braves.
A career .304 hitter, Jones is only batting .252 in 71 games this season. He has seven home runs and 44 RBI, second on the Braves squad.
The Braves are getting 6.3 RBI for every million they pay Jones.
Now for the top 10!
No. 10: Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals, $10.6 Million
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When the Washington Nationals signed Jayson Werth as free agent last December they made him the highest-paid player on the team, paying him $10.6 million in 2011.
In 78 games this season Werth is batting .223 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
He has 66 hits in 291 at-bats, that's 12.3 hits per million in salary, the highest yet in the ranking.
Having scored 37 runs so far this season, the Nationals are paying approximately $143,000 per run scored by their right fielder.
No. 9: Michael Young, Texas Rangers, $16.0 Million
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Michael Young is in his 12th season with the Texas Rangers. Over that span he has made his way around the infield having played second base early in his career and moving to shortstop, third base and this season primarily has designated hitter.
Young, set to make $16 million this season, has a .317 average playing in 81 of 83 games this season. His 54 RBI are second on the Rangers.
Young is delivering 12.9 hits and 6.9 RBI for every million dollars he is being paid by the reigning American League champions.
No. 8: Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles, $10.6 Million
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The Baltimore Orioles right fielder will be paid $10.6 million this season making Nick Markakis the highest-paid Oriole in 2011.
In 78 games this season Markakis is hitting .280 with six home runs and 31 RBI.
For his 33 runs scored the Orioles will pay $160,000 each. Compare that to the $320,000 per run scored the Yankees are paying for Alex Rodriguez. While the production is not better, the value is.
No. 7: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers, $15.5 Million
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This is a case where the $15.5 million salary the Milwaukee Brewers are paying first baseman Prince Fielder is providing a great return.
Fielder leads the Brewers with 21 home runs, and leads the National League with 69 RBI. He is delivering 8.9 RBI for each million the Brewers are paying him—fifth best in this ranking.
He has played in all 83 games for the Brewers this season and his hitting .298—second best among the Brewers starting lineup.
Fielder and the Brewers are currently only one game behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals.
No. 6: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds, $11.4 Million
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Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is having one of his best seasons so far in 2011.
In 78 games he has scored 52 runs, and is batting .300 with eight home runs and 45 RBI.
So far this season for every million dollars they pay Phillips they are getting 17 hits, 9.12 runs and 7.9 RBI.
No. 5: David DeJesus, Oakland Athletics, $6.0 Million
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With Oakland Athletics right fielder David DeJesus we start to see the value come from some more modest salaries.
Set to make $6 million in 2011, DeJesus is the highest-paid Athletic.
DeJesus is batting .232, scoring 27 runs in 71 games. He has five home runs and 22 RBI.
For the salary the A's are getting 18.3 hits, 9.0 runs and 7.3 RBI. While it is a good value, it is not doing much to help the last-place Athletics in the AL West.
No. 4: Kelly Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks, $5.8 Million
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In his second season with Arizona, second baseman Kelly Johnson is helping the Diamondbacks put some pressure on the NL West.
In 77 games Johnson is only batting .214, but the Diamondbacks leadoff hitter leads the team with 45 runs scored and has hit 14 home runs.
His $5.8 million salary is the third lowest in the ranking, providing higher value.
Johnson is delivering 15.5 runs and 21.7 hits per million dollars.
No. 3: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays, $8.0 Million
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When the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Jose Bautista from the Pittsburgh Pirates in August of 2008 there was little indication that he would erupt to lead the American League with 54 home runs in 2010.
Bautista is currently leading the AL with 25 home runs.
Having scored 63 runs so far this season, Bautista is scoring 15.8 runs per million dollars in salary—the highest for the ranking.
A .252 career hitter, Bautista is hitting a blistering .330 in 75 games for Toronto.
Signed through 2015 with a club option for 2016, the Blue Jays should continue to get great value on their investment.
No. 2: Ryan Ludwick, San Diego Padres, $6.8 Million
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Left fielder Ryan Ludwick is in his first full season with the San Diego Padres after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trading deadline last season.
His $6.8 million dollar salary ranks him second on the Padres behind closer Heath Bell and is the fifth lowest in the ranking.
Through 83 games Ludwick has played in 79 of them and leads the Padres with 51 RBI and 35 runs scored. His 15 RBI per million in salary is the best in the ranking, and his 22.1 hits is second.
Unfortunately, this great value for the Padres has not translated into wins as San Diego is currently last in the NL West.
The Best Value for the Money: Johnny Damon, Tampa Bay Rays, $5.2 Million
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When the Tampa Bay Rays lost the services of Carl Crawford, who signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent last December, he went from a $10 million salary in 2010 to $14 million in 2011.
To replace him the Rays signed Johnny Damon for one year at $5.25 million. Damon took a $2.75 million pay cut in salary from his previous year with the Detroit Tigers.
With the second-lowest payroll in baseball the Rays find themselves only five games behind the division-leading New York Yankees.
Playing for his sixth team in his 17th season, Damon is hitting .269 in 77 games as the Rays leadoff hitter.
He leads the team with 83 hits, scoring 39 runs with 37 RBI.
Damon's $5.2 million salary is the second lowest in this ranking, providing the best value to his team.
The Twins made Joe Mauer the fifth highest paid player in baseball for 2011.
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