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The Los Angeles Dodgers opened the 1985 season paying $10,967,917 to 23 players and closed 2016 at $221,288,380 across 35 players, a 20.2× rise in nominal dollars. The franchise’s biggest recorded single-season salary in this span is Clayton Kershaw’s $33,000,000 in 2016.
| Year | Players | Payroll | Average | Median | Top paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 23 | $10,967,917 | $476,866 | $435,000 | Pedro Guerrero ($1.3M) |
| 1986 | 32 | $14,913,776 | $466,056 | $392,243 | Fernando Valenzuela ($1.6M) |
| 1987 | 28 | $13,675,403 | $488,407 | $290,000 | Fernando Valenzuela ($1.9M) |
| 1988 | 30 | $16,850,515 | $561,684 | $306,250 | Fernando Valenzuela ($2M) |
| 1989 | 31 | $21,071,562 | $679,728 | $420,000 | Orel Hershiser ($2.8M) |
| 1990 | 35 | $21,318,704 | $609,106 | $450,000 | Eddie Murray ($2.5M) |
| 1991 | 30 | $32,790,664 | $1,093,022 | $660,000 | Darryl Strawberry ($3.8M) |
| 1992 | 29 | $44,788,166 | $1,544,420 | $1,175,000 | Orel Hershiser ($4.3M) |
| 1993 | 32 | $39,331,999 | $1,229,125 | $517,500 | Orel Hershiser ($4.3M) |
| 1994 | 31 | $38,000,001 | $1,225,806 | $515,000 | Tom Candiotti ($3.6M) |
| 1995 | 37 | $39,273,201 | $1,061,438 | $300,000 | Darryl Strawberry ($5.3M) |
| 1996 | 32 | $35,355,000 | $1,104,844 | $387,500 | Ramon Martinez ($4.8M) |
| 1997 | 30 | $45,380,304 | $1,512,677 | $500,000 | Mike Piazza ($7M) |
| 1998 | 34 | $48,820,000 | $1,435,882 | $387,500 | Mike Piazza ($8M) |
| 1999 | 34 | $80,862,453 | $2,378,307 | $1,150,000 | Kevin Brown ($10.7M) |
| 2000 | 26 | $87,924,286 | $3,381,703 | $2,125,000 | Kevin Brown ($15.7M) |
| 2001 | 29 | $109,105,953 | $3,762,274 | $1,725,000 | Kevin Brown ($15.7M) |
| 2002 | 26 | $94,850,953 | $3,648,114 | $1,950,000 | Kevin Brown ($15.7M) |
| 2003 | 25 | $105,572,620 | $4,222,905 | $2,636,667 | Kevin Brown ($15.7M) |
| 2004 | 27 | $92,902,001 | $3,440,815 | $1,500,000 | Shawn Green ($16.7M) |
| 2005 | 30 | $83,039,000 | $2,767,967 | $650,000 | Darren Dreifort ($13.4M) |
| 2006 | 28 | $98,447,187 | $3,515,971 | $2,205,000 | J. D. Drew ($11.4M) |
| 2007 | 29 | $108,454,524 | $3,739,811 | $1,000,000 | Jason Schmidt ($15.7M) |
| 2008 | 29 | $118,588,536 | $4,089,260 | $600,000 | Rafael Furcal ($15.7M) |
| 2009 | 25 | $100,414,592 | $4,016,584 | $1,250,000 | Manny Ramirez ($23.9M) |
| 2010 | 27 | $95,358,016 | $3,531,778 | $1,000,000 | Manny Ramirez ($18.7M) |
| 2011 | 30 | $104,188,999 | $3,472,967 | $2,142,839 | Rafael Furcal ($13M) |
| 2012 | 30 | $95,143,575 | $3,171,453 | $875,000 | Ted Lilly ($11.7M) |
| 2013 | 32 | $223,362,196 | $6,980,069 | $4,230,750 | Adrian Gonzalez ($21.9M) |
| 2014 | 32 | $217,014,600 | $6,781,706 | $4,000,000 | Zack Greinke ($26M) |
| 2015 | 29 | $215,792,000 | $7,441,103 | $4,000,000 | Clayton Kershaw ($32.6M) |
| 2016 | 35 | $221,288,380 | $6,322,525 | $3,125,000 | Clayton Kershaw ($33M) |
| # | Player | Salary | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clayton Kershaw | $33,000,000 | 2016 (LAN) |
| 2 | Clayton Kershaw | $32,571,000 | 2015 (LAN) |
| 3 | Zack Greinke | $26,000,000 | 2014 (LAN) |
| 4 | Zack Greinke | $25,000,000 | 2015 (LAN) |
| 5 | Manny Ramirez | $23,854,494 | 2009 (LAN) |
| 6 | Adrian Gonzalez | $21,857,143 | 2013 (LAN) |
| 7 | Adrian Gonzalez | $21,857,000 | 2015 (LAN) |
| 8 | Carl Crawford | $21,357,000 | 2015 (LAN) |
| 9 | Zack Greinke | $21,000,000 | 2013 (LAN) |
| 10 | Adrian Gonzalez | $21,000,000 | 2014 (LAN) |
| 11 | Matt Kemp | $21,000,000 | 2014 (LAN) |
| 12 | Adrian Gonzalez | $21,000,000 | 2016 (LAN) |
| 13 | Carl Crawford | $20,857,143 | 2013 (LAN) |
| 14 | Carl Crawford | $20,750,000 | 2016 (LAN) |
| 15 | Matt Kemp | $20,250,000 | 2013 (LAN) |
This page aggregates the Lahman database’s real salary rows (1985-2016) for every identity this franchise played under: Los Angeles Dodgers. 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 2013 season at $223,362,196 across 32 players.
Salary data: SABR / Lahman baseball database, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aggregated and published by Legends Deck. Nominal dollars; no inflation adjustment.