Kershaw highest paid player in MLB, Dodgers top payroll list

Clayton Kershaw is highest paid player in MLB, Dodgers top payroll list

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is baseball's highest paid player for the second straight year, while the Dodgers are No. 1 in payroll, according to an analysis by USA Today.

Kershaw will make $33 million this season, as part of a seven-year, $215 million contract he signed before the 2014 season.

Four of the top five highest paid players in baseball are pitchers, with Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke making $31.9 million. David Price of the Boston Red Sox ($30 million) Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera and Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander round out the top five. Each will make $28 million each in 2017.

The Dodgers again have baseball's highest payroll at $235 million, including paying almost $50 million in salary to players who are not on their 25-man roster. Outfielder Carl Crawford, who was released by the Dodgers in June, will be paid $21.8 million not to play for the team this season.

The San Diego Padres have a $34.6 million opening-day payroll, but will pay out $35 million to players who are not on the team.

According to the report, the average major leaguer will make $4.47 million this season, the 13th straight year the average salary has increased. The league's minimum salary in 2017 is $535,000.

- Scooby Axson