The New York Yankees Spend Less Than You Think in 2009

With the recent additions of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixeira, most baseball fans out there are pretty upset with the spending of the New York Yankees.  Before you get too upset, look at it in a different way.

At the end of the 2008 season, there will be some key players with big money not returning to the team. 

Jason Giambi is now over in Oakland playing for the Athletics; he was paid $21 million in 2008.

Bobby Abreu, who is still a free agent, was paid $16 million by the Yankees in 2008.

Carl Pavano, who played, well no, who didn't play four years for the Yankees had $11 million come off the books when his contract expired this year.

Mike Mussina decided to put down his glove for the last time and retired after the 2008 season.  He made $11 million in 2008.

Also, Andy Pettitte looks to not be returning to the team after he turned down a $10 million dollar offer from the Yankees, he made $16 million last season.

Those contracts all add up to $75 million in one season of pay!

Now, let's look at the big names the Yankees brought in and how much they will be making in 2009.

CC Sabathia, who is now the No. 1 starter for the Yankees, will make $14 million in 2009.  I love Pettitte, but that's a nice upgrade, don't you think?

Burnett actually makes more than Sabathia this season with $16.5 million.  Maybe overpaid a little here because of the injury risk, but if he pitched like he did in 2008, it will pay off big time.

Lets not forget about Mark Teixeira, who will make $20 million in 2009.

Drumroll please, all of that equals out to $50.5 million.

That means that a total of $24.5 million is left over.

You do have the addition of Nick Swisher, who will make around $7 million in 2009 if he stays with the team and doesn't get traded.

When it is all said in done, the Yankees will go into 2009, paying the team less money than it did in 2008, remarkable.

Both Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have both said they will be able to save some money this season.

While the Yankees spend big, they didn't out do themselves and have replenished a team that was aging fast and going nowhere.