truebluefan

Just how much money the Indians will have to spend this winter for repairs isn't known, but General Manager Mark Shapiro said it should be "significant."

The Indians started this season with a payroll of about $55 million for the 25-man big-league roster.

MLB teams calculate their payrolls based on the 40-man roster. By that accounting, the Tribe's payroll at the end of the season - with the 15 additional players - remains about $55 million. The average big-league payroll at season's end will be between $81 million and $82 million.

The Indians' 2007 payroll isn't going to increase to the league average, but Shapiro said "I think it will take a major jump." Owner Larry Dolan will decide how big the jump will be.

The Indians have saved about $4 million by trading pitchers Jason Johnson and Bob Wickman and second baseman Ronnie Belliard. The trades of first basemen Eduardo Perez ($1.8 million) and Ben Broussard ($2.458 million) to Seattle saved little or nothing. They paid all but a fraction of Perez's contract and included money in the Broussard trade to help pay his contract.

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