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Perhaps the most difficult part of constructing a 25-man roster, is the ability to put together an affordable team that is highly competitive. There are a host reasons that can cause a team to have payroll issues, and there are currently two whose future will be impacted greatly by where they have money committed.
New York Yankees
It's odd to type the Yankees into an article about payroll limitations, and to some extent that oddness is justified. If the Bronx Bombers wanted to blow past the luxury tax, they easily could. But in recent years, they've shown a desire to remain below that amount, and as such will have to work around some ugly contracts.
| Yankees | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Teixeira | $23,125,000 | $23,125,000 | UFA | - |
| C.C. Sabathia | $23,000,000 | $25,000,000 | $25,000,000 | UFA |
| Masahiro Tanaka | $22,000,000 | $22,000,000 | $22,000,000 | $22,000,000 |
| Alex Rodriguez | $22,000,000 | $21,000,000 | $21,000,000 | UFA |
| Jacoby Ellsbury | $21,142,857 | $21,142,857 | $21,142,857 | $21,142,857 |
| Brian McCann | $17,000,000 | $17,000,000 | $17,000,000 | $17,000,000 |
| Carlos Beltran | $15,000,000 | $15,000,000 | UFA | - |
| Chase Headley | $13,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $13,000,000 |
| Brett Gardner | $12,500,000 | $13,500,000 | $12,500,000 | $11,500,000 |
| Andrew Miller | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | $3,300,000 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | UFA |
| Michael Pineda | $2,100,000 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | UFA |
| Total | $183,167,857 | $179,767,857 | $140,642,857 | $93,642,857 |
The Yankees top this list in terms of most total money committed through 2018. As of now, they already have already spent $597,221,428 million on players for the next four seasons. If they want to remain under the luxury tax, there likely won't be a classic Yankee offseason in the near future.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers have been one of the most consistent teams in baseball since 2011, but their window of contention seems to be fast approaching. Miguel Cabrera is still one of the, if not the best hitter in baseball, but Justin Verlander is no longer a flame throwing pitcher, and Victor Martinez isn't getting any younger.
| Tigers | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | $28,000,000 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 22,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | $30,000,000 |
| Anibal Sanchez | 16,800,000 | 16,800,000 | 16,000,000 | $16,000,000 |
| Ian Kinsler | 16,000,000 | 14,000,000 | 11,000,000 | $10,000,000 |
| Victor Martinez | 14,000,000 | 18,000,000 | 18,000,000 | $18,000,000 |
| J.D. Marintez | 3,000,000 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | UFA |
| Al Alburquerque | 1,725,000 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 | UFA |
| Jose Iglesias | 1,443,750 | ARB 1 | ARB 2 | ARB 3 |
| Total | 102,968,750 | 104,800,000 | 101,000,000 | $102,000,000 |
It seems as though the future of Cabrera will largely determine how much these contracts burden the Tigers. Ian Kinsler's deal actually get's less expensive as the seasons go on, and Anibal Sanchez's contract is very consistent. However if Verlander keeps declining in value, Martinez's age starts to play a factor, and Cabrera can't be productive, they will truly be in trouble. Three seasons from now, the Tigers have $102 million committed to five players, the youngest of whom will be 34. Verlander could be around until 2020, and Cabrera is signed through 2023, which means these contracts could become horrible dead weight in the near future.