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The Atlanta Braves opened the 1985 season paying $14,807,000 to 22 players and closed 2016 at $68,498,291 across 29 players, a 4.6× rise in nominal dollars. The franchise’s biggest recorded single-season salary in this span is Chipper Jones’s $16,061,802 in 2005.
| Year | Players | Payroll | Average | Median | Top paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 22 | $14,807,000 | $673,045 | $620,834 | Dale Murphy ($1.6M) |
| 1986 | 29 | $17,102,786 | $589,751 | $505,000 | Dale Murphy ($1.8M) |
| 1987 | 32 | $16,544,560 | $517,018 | $440,000 | Dale Murphy ($1.9M) |
| 1988 | 29 | $12,728,174 | $438,903 | $360,000 | Dale Murphy ($2M) |
| 1989 | 30 | $11,112,334 | $370,411 | $156,000 | Dale Murphy ($2M) |
| 1990 | 32 | $14,555,501 | $454,859 | $167,500 | Dale Murphy ($2M) |
| 1991 | 25 | $18,403,500 | $736,140 | $540,000 | Nick Esasky ($2.1M) |
| 1992 | 31 | $34,625,333 | $1,116,946 | $600,000 | Charlie Leibrandt ($3.2M) |
| 1993 | 33 | $41,641,417 | $1,261,861 | $725,000 | Greg Maddux ($5.9M) |
| 1994 | 30 | $49,383,513 | $1,646,117 | $775,000 | Ron Gant ($5.5M) |
| 1995 | 29 | $47,235,445 | $1,628,808 | $305,000 | Greg Maddux ($6.5M) |
| 1996 | 30 | $49,698,500 | $1,656,617 | $385,000 | Greg Maddux ($6.7M) |
| 1997 | 31 | $52,278,500 | $1,686,403 | $250,000 | John Smoltz ($7M) |
| 1998 | 32 | $61,186,000 | $1,912,063 | $297,500 | Greg Maddux ($9.6M) |
| 1999 | 29 | $73,140,000 | $2,522,069 | $1,000,000 | Greg Maddux ($10.6M) |
| 2000 | 30 | $84,537,836 | $2,817,928 | $1,200,000 | Greg Maddux ($11.1M) |
| 2001 | 31 | $91,936,166 | $2,965,683 | $1,200,000 | Greg Maddux ($12.5M) |
| 2002 | 28 | $92,870,367 | $3,316,799 | $1,506,250 | Greg Maddux ($13.1M) |
| 2003 | 27 | $106,243,667 | $3,934,951 | $800,000 | Greg Maddux ($14.8M) |
| 2004 | 28 | $90,182,500 | $3,220,804 | $737,500 | Chipper Jones ($15.3M) |
| 2005 | 25 | $86,457,302 | $3,458,292 | $1,000,000 | Chipper Jones ($16.1M) |
| 2006 | 29 | $90,156,876 | $3,108,858 | $462,500 | Mike Hampton ($14.5M) |
| 2007 | 28 | $87,290,833 | $3,117,530 | $595,000 | Mike Hampton ($14.5M) |
| 2008 | 30 | $102,365,683 | $3,412,189 | $428,750 | Mike Hampton ($16M) |
| 2009 | 29 | $96,726,166 | $3,335,385 | $1,237,500 | Tim Hudson ($15.5M) |
| 2010 | 27 | $84,423,666 | $3,126,802 | $1,150,000 | Derek Lowe ($15M) |
| 2011 | 26 | $87,002,692 | $3,346,257 | $1,275,000 | Derek Lowe ($15M) |
| 2012 | 29 | $82,829,942 | $2,856,205 | $590,000 | Chipper Jones ($14M) |
| 2013 | 27 | $87,871,525 | $3,254,501 | $725,000 | Dan Uggla ($13.1M) |
| 2014 | 24 | $97,609,000 | $4,067,042 | $1,495,000 | Justin Upton ($14.3M) |
| 2015 | 24 | $71,781,250 | $2,990,885 | $1,400,000 | Trevor Cahill ($12M) |
| 2016 | 29 | $68,498,291 | $2,362,010 | $1,000,000 | Freddie Freeman ($12.4M) |
| # | Player | Salary | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chipper Jones | $16,061,802 | 2005 (ATL) |
| 2 | Mike Hampton | $15,975,184 | 2008 (ATL) |
| 3 | Tim Hudson | $15,500,000 | 2008 (ATL) |
| 4 | Tim Hudson | $15,500,000 | 2009 (ATL) |
| 5 | Chipper Jones | $15,333,333 | 2004 (ATL) |
| 6 | Mike Hampton | $15,125,000 | 2005 (ATL) |
| 7 | Derek Lowe | $15,000,000 | 2009 (ATL) |
| 8 | Derek Lowe | $15,000,000 | 2010 (ATL) |
| 9 | Derek Lowe | $15,000,000 | 2011 (ATL) |
| 10 | Greg Maddux | $14,750,000 | 2003 (ATL) |
| 11 | Mike Hampton | $14,625,000 | 2004 (ATL) |
| 12 | Mike Hampton | $14,503,543 | 2006 (ATL) |
| 13 | Mike Hampton | $14,500,000 | 2007 (ATL) |
| 14 | Justin Upton | $14,250,000 | 2014 (ATL) |
| 15 | Ervin Santana | $14,100,000 | 2014 (ATL) |
This page aggregates the Lahman database’s real salary rows (1985-2016) for every identity this franchise played under: Atlanta Braves. Amounts are nominal US dollars exactly as recorded, with no inflation adjustment, because a deflator is an editorial choice and this archive refuses to invent one. The Lahman Salaries table was last updated for 2016, so nothing here reaches the current season.
The franchise’s heaviest recorded payroll was the 2003 season at $106,243,667 across 27 players.
Salary data: SABR / Lahman baseball database, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aggregated and published by Legends Deck. Nominal dollars; no inflation adjustment.