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The St. Louis Cardinals opened the 1985 season paying $11,817,083 to 25 players and closed 2016 at $143,053,500 across 31 players, a 12.1× rise in nominal dollars. The franchise’s biggest recorded single-season salary in this span is Adam Wainwright’s $19,500,000 in 2014.
| Year | Players | Payroll | Average | Median | Top paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 25 | $11,817,083 | $472,683 | $457,500 | Jack Clark ($1.6M) |
| 1986 | 27 | $9,875,010 | $365,741 | $190,000 | Ozzie Smith ($1.9M) |
| 1987 | 31 | $11,758,000 | $379,290 | $115,000 | Ozzie Smith ($1.9M) |
| 1988 | 27 | $12,880,000 | $477,037 | $240,000 | Ozzie Smith ($2.3M) |
| 1989 | 28 | $16,078,833 | $574,244 | $478,750 | Ozzie Smith ($2.2M) |
| 1990 | 35 | $20,523,334 | $586,381 | $207,500 | Pedro Guerrero ($2.1M) |
| 1991 | 29 | $21,860,001 | $753,793 | $300,000 | Lee Smith ($2.8M) |
| 1992 | 29 | $27,583,836 | $951,167 | $500,000 | Lee Smith ($2.8M) |
| 1993 | 30 | $23,367,334 | $778,911 | $257,500 | Ozzie Smith ($3M) |
| 1994 | 30 | $29,275,601 | $975,853 | $450,000 | Gregg Jefferies ($4.6M) |
| 1995 | 38 | $37,101,000 | $976,342 | $299,500 | Ken Hill ($4.5M) |
| 1996 | 33 | $40,269,667 | $1,220,293 | $600,000 | Danny Jackson ($4.1M) |
| 1997 | 36 | $45,456,667 | $1,262,685 | $382,500 | Andy Benes ($4.8M) |
| 1998 | 35 | $54,672,521 | $1,562,072 | $500,000 | Mark McGwire ($8.9M) |
| 1999 | 36 | $49,778,195 | $1,382,728 | $520,000 | Mark McGwire ($9.4M) |
| 2000 | 27 | $61,453,863 | $2,276,069 | $1,100,000 | Mark McGwire ($9.3M) |
| 2001 | 30 | $78,538,333 | $2,617,944 | $1,350,000 | Mark McGwire ($11M) |
| 2002 | 26 | $74,660,875 | $2,871,572 | $2,125,000 | Jim Edmonds ($7.3M) |
| 2003 | 31 | $83,786,666 | $2,702,796 | $900,000 | Matt Morris ($10.5M) |
| 2004 | 26 | $83,228,333 | $3,201,090 | $1,100,000 | Matt Morris ($12.5M) |
| 2005 | 26 | $92,106,833 | $3,542,571 | $2,166,667 | Larry Walker ($12.7M) |
| 2006 | 27 | $88,891,371 | $3,292,273 | $1,000,000 | Albert Pujols ($14M) |
| 2007 | 28 | $90,286,823 | $3,224,529 | $1,000,000 | Albert Pujols ($12.9M) |
| 2008 | 33 | $99,624,449 | $3,018,923 | $1,000,000 | Albert Pujols ($13.9M) |
| 2009 | 27 | $88,528,409 | $3,278,830 | $950,000 | Albert Pujols ($14.4M) |
| 2010 | 25 | $93,540,751 | $3,741,630 | $1,000,000 | Matt Holliday ($16.3M) |
| 2011 | 27 | $105,433,572 | $3,904,947 | $1,000,000 | Matt Holliday ($16.3M) |
| 2012 | 28 | $110,300,862 | $3,939,317 | $800,000 | Matt Holliday ($16.3M) |
| 2013 | 28 | $92,260,110 | $3,295,004 | $518,500 | Matt Holliday ($16.3M) |
| 2014 | 28 | $120,693,000 | $4,310,464 | $767,500 | Adam Wainwright ($19.5M) |
| 2015 | 26 | $119,241,500 | $4,586,212 | $2,000,000 | Adam Wainwright ($19.5M) |
| 2016 | 31 | $143,053,500 | $4,614,629 | $1,650,000 | Adam Wainwright ($19.5M) |
| # | Player | Salary | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Wainwright | $19,500,000 | 2014 (SLN) |
| 2 | Adam Wainwright | $19,500,000 | 2015 (SLN) |
| 3 | Adam Wainwright | $19,500,000 | 2016 (SLN) |
| 4 | Matt Holliday | $17,000,000 | 2014 (SLN) |
| 5 | Matt Holliday | $17,000,000 | 2015 (SLN) |
| 6 | Matt Holliday | $17,000,000 | 2016 (SLN) |
| 7 | Matt Holliday | $16,333,327 | 2010 (SLN) |
| 8 | Matt Holliday | $16,317,774 | 2011 (SLN) |
| 9 | Matt Holliday | $16,292,362 | 2012 (SLN) |
| 10 | Matt Holliday | $16,272,110 | 2013 (SLN) |
| 11 | Chris Carpenter | $15,840,971 | 2010 (SLN) |
| 12 | Jhonny Peralta | $15,500,000 | 2014 (SLN) |
| 13 | John Lackey | $15,250,000 | 2014 (SLN) |
| 14 | Yadier Molina | $15,000,000 | 2014 (SLN) |
| 15 | Yadier Molina | $15,000,000 | 2015 (SLN) |
This page aggregates the Lahman database’s real salary rows (1985-2016) for every identity this franchise played under: St. Louis Cardinals. 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 2016 season at $143,053,500 across 31 players.
Salary data: SABR / Lahman baseball database, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aggregated and published by Legends Deck. Nominal dollars; no inflation adjustment.