After investing in free-agent pitcher Jason Hammel, the Royals’ 2017 payroll could surpass $140 million for the second straight year, according to a Kansas City Star analysis and projection of the club’s salary obligations.
Hammel signed a two-year, $16 million contract on Wednesday, consummating a backloaded deal that will pay the veteran right-handed pitcher $5 million in 2017 and $9 million in 2018. The deal also includes a $2 million buyout on a mutual option for 2019.
The contract is likely to be the Royals’ last significant expenditure of the offseason. And as pitchers and catchers set to report to Arizona next Monday, it appears likely that the club’s payroll will approach its club-record mark from 2016, when the number also surpassed $140 million.