The Atlanta Braves have filled a void in their bullpen left by Jordan Walden, who was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals earlier in the offseason. As for the rest of the MLB, the average salary has increased by 12.78 percent.
Right-hander Jason Grilli is heading back east after being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in the middle of the 2014 season. He signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, which also has a club option for a third season. Mark Bowman of MLB.com notes the deal is worth $8 million.
Grilli is just one season removed from an All-Star campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates. During 2013 the former closer maintained a 2.70 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 54 games (50 innings) and added 33 saves and 74 strikeouts. He helped the Pirates make their first postseason appearance in 20 years, but they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series. The 38-year-old pitched 3 1/3 innings in the postseason that year and gave up three hits and struck out four.
Grilli will earn an average annual salary of $4 million, which is just about $200,000 more than the new league average. The Major League Baseball Players Association announced Tuesday the average salary for 2014 was $3,818,923 - a 12.78% increase from last season and the largest since the 2000-2001. The average salary for 2013 was $3,386,212, according to The Associated Press.
This news indicates the average salary is likely to break the $4 million mark for the first time in 2015. According to CBS Sports, the league average first toppled the $3 million barrier in 2008 ($3,154.845), the $2 million mark in 2001 ($2,264,403), and the $1 million mark in 1992 (1,084,408). The 2014 numbers are based on the salaries of 910 players through August 31, which is when the league's rosters expand from 25 to 40 players.
The MLB's revenues are expected to hit $9 billion, which will set another record, so it's no surprise the salaries are gradually increasing.
