Baseball Tri-Weekly: Baseball is the Best Tax Shelter

Dublin star Mookie Betts can buy the finest equipment thanks to the Snake Chasers sizable payroll, but will the perks translate to a playoff berth in September?

Baseball is the Best Tax Shelter

By Aviator McShadeless

While many EHCC pundits are predicting a vicious battle in the Eastern Division, that doesn't mean there is a lack of talent in the West. 

A combination of poor management and redevelopment priorities have made the West a two team race, led by Quebec City and Santo Domingo. Still, foreign investment in baseball is at an all-time high. The Western Division boasts three of the four largest payrolls in the EHCC.

All this spending is led by the defending champs. The Canadians are pouring $408 Loonies into their ball club, spread nearly evenly on both sides of the ball. Their deep pitching staff is being paid $65 more than the Weymouth staff, and $80 more than Dublin (2nd in the West). Santo Domingo is nipping at the Piglets' hooves. While the All Star Factory pitching staff is around league average, they have invested $204 Pesos into their stellar offense including an infield average of nearly $30 per player. 

Hailing from a country not known for it's wealth, Dublin is actually outspending Santo Domingo with a total salary of $299 Charms. Almost none of those contracts are new, indicating the Snake Chasers were one of the most talented in 2017, yet finished 9th in the EHCC and fifth in the West last year. They are followed closely by Tokyo, with a payroll of ¥266. Both teams are off to a strong start in 2018, but talent can only take you so far.

The most interesting payroll in the EHCC belongs to the Tijuana Hispanics. For a team that was able to emerge as the division's top regular season squad, they enter 2018 with the third lowest payroll of any squad in baseball. Of their $169 Peso payroll, only $20 is slotted for their 14-man pitching staff, a mind boggling figure for a contenting team. Somehow, the Hispanics have made the most of their resources and stand as an example of what a well-managed group can achieve.

Deep in the basement sits Rio, a team that kicked off an epic firesale in 2017 that continued into 2018. At $68 Giselles, the Cristos may not be able to afford the electricity needed to tank properly this year. EHCC insiders have hinted that Rio is using the salary savings to build a state-of-the-art medical facility within steps of Estadio da Cidade Maravilhosa, using elaborate mid-innings shows to keep the attendance high through what should be a miserable three years for the club.

EHCC Total Payroll
1. Quebec City, $408
2. Weymouth, $363
3. Dublin, $299
4. Santo Domingo, $292
5. San Juan, $269
6. Tokyo, $266
7. Bridgewater, $247
8. Rakeville, $245
9. Las Vegas, $239
10. Tijuana, $169
11. San Fernando Valley, $101
12. Rio de Janeiro, $68