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The Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals opened the 1985 season paying $9,470,166 to 20 players and closed 2016 at $141,652,646 across 26 players, a 15.0× rise in nominal dollars. The franchise’s biggest recorded single-season salary in this span is Max Scherzer’s $22,142,857 in 2016.
| Year | Players | Payroll | Average | Median | Top paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 20 | $9,470,166 | $473,508 | $375,000 | Tim Raines ($1.2M) |
| 1986 | 32 | $11,103,600 | $346,988 | $165,000 | Tim Raines ($1.5M) |
| 1987 | 24 | $6,942,052 | $289,252 | $156,250 | Tim Raines ($1.7M) |
| 1988 | 25 | $9,603,333 | $384,133 | $240,000 | Tim Raines ($1.7M) |
| 1989 | 28 | $13,807,389 | $493,121 | $327,500 | Tim Raines ($2.1M) |
| 1990 | 31 | $16,586,388 | $535,045 | $315,000 | Tim Raines ($2.1M) |
| 1991 | 17 | $10,732,333 | $631,314 | $185,000 | Dennis Martinez ($3.3M) |
| 1992 | 27 | $15,822,334 | $586,012 | $200,000 | Dennis Martinez ($3.3M) |
| 1993 | 39 | $18,899,333 | $484,598 | $126,000 | Ivan Calderon ($3M) |
| 1994 | 28 | $19,098,000 | $682,071 | $187,500 | Larry Walker ($4M) |
| 1995 | 33 | $12,364,000 | $374,667 | $165,000 | Moises Alou ($3M) |
| 1996 | 31 | $16,264,500 | $524,661 | $165,000 | Moises Alou ($3M) |
| 1997 | 31 | $19,295,500 | $622,435 | $220,000 | Pedro Martinez ($3.6M) |
| 1998 | 33 | $10,641,500 | $322,470 | $215,000 | Rondell White ($2M) |
| 1999 | 35 | $17,903,000 | $511,514 | $225,000 | Rondell White ($3M) |
| 2000 | 29 | $32,994,333 | $1,137,736 | $325,000 | Hideki Irabu ($4.1M) |
| 2001 | 31 | $35,159,500 | $1,134,177 | $310,000 | Vladimir Guerrero ($6M) |
| 2002 | 28 | $38,670,500 | $1,381,089 | $345,000 | Vladimir Guerrero ($8M) |
| 2003 | 26 | $51,948,500 | $1,998,019 | $333,500 | Vladimir Guerrero ($11.5M) |
| 2004 | 29 | $40,897,500 | $1,410,259 | $350,000 | Jose Vidro ($7M) |
| 2005 | 30 | $48,581,500 | $1,619,383 | $628,500 | Livan Hernandez ($8M) |
| 2006 | 31 | $63,143,000 | $2,036,871 | $900,000 | Alfonso Soriano ($10M) |
| 2007 | 28 | $36,947,500 | $1,319,554 | $500,000 | Nick Johnson ($5.5M) |
| 2008 | 29 | $54,961,000 | $1,895,207 | $1,000,000 | Chad Cordero ($6.2M) |
| 2009 | 28 | $59,928,000 | $2,140,286 | $625,000 | Adam Dunn ($8M) |
| 2010 | 30 | $61,400,000 | $2,046,667 | $725,000 | Adam Dunn ($12M) |
| 2011 | 29 | $63,856,928 | $2,201,963 | $1,050,000 | Jayson Werth ($10.6M) |
| 2012 | 30 | $80,855,143 | $2,695,171 | $807,500 | Jayson Werth ($13.6M) |
| 2013 | 25 | $113,703,270 | $4,548,131 | $2,500,000 | Jayson Werth ($16.6M) |
| 2014 | 30 | $131,983,680 | $4,399,456 | $2,325,000 | Jayson Werth ($20M) |
| 2015 | 29 | $155,587,472 | $5,365,085 | $2,500,000 | Jayson Werth ($21M) |
| 2016 | 26 | $141,652,646 | $5,448,179 | $2,937,500 | Max Scherzer ($22.1M) |
| # | Player | Salary | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Scherzer | $22,142,857 | 2016 (WAS) |
| 2 | Jayson Werth | $21,733,615 | 2016 (WAS) |
| 3 | Jayson Werth | $21,000,000 | 2015 (WAS) |
| 4 | Jayson Werth | $20,000,000 | 2014 (WAS) |
| 5 | Max Scherzer | $17,142,000 | 2015 (WAS) |
| 6 | Jayson Werth | $16,571,429 | 2013 (WAS) |
| 7 | Jordan Zimmermann | $16,500,000 | 2015 (WAS) |
| 8 | Ryan Zimmerman | $14,100,000 | 2013 (WAS) |
| 9 | Ryan Zimmerman | $14,000,000 | 2014 (WAS) |
| 10 | Ryan Zimmerman | $14,000,000 | 2015 (WAS) |
| 11 | Ryan Zimmerman | $14,000,000 | 2016 (WAS) |
| 12 | Jayson Werth | $13,571,428 | 2012 (WAS) |
| 13 | Dan Haren | $13,000,000 | 2013 (WAS) |
| 14 | Gio Gonzalez | $12,100,000 | 2016 (WAS) |
| 15 | Adam Dunn | $12,000,000 | 2010 (WAS) |
This page aggregates the Lahman database’s real salary rows (1985-2016) for every identity this franchise played under: Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals. 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 2015 season at $155,587,472 across 29 players.
Salary data: SABR / Lahman baseball database, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aggregated and published by Legends Deck. Nominal dollars; no inflation adjustment.