Page 17 - ATODAY NEW

SPORTS A17
Monday 4 April 2016

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton SHELL
Kershaw warms up during GAME
the third inning of the team’s
spring training baseball game Herman rides win into Masters berth
against the Cleveland Indians
on Wednesday, March 30, Jim Herman celebrates on the 18th green after
2016, in Glendale, Ariz. winning the Houston Open golf tournament,
Sunday, April 3, 2016, in Humble, Texas.
Associated Press
Associated Press
MLB average Page 19

salary $4.4M

after 4.4

pct rise

RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The
average salary in Major
League Baseball rose 4.4
percent to $4.38 million
on the opening day of the
2016 season, according to
a study of contract terms
by The Associated Press,
with the Los Angeles Dodg-
ers topping spending for
the third straight season.
The Chicago Cubs boost-
ed payroll by $51 million,
adding Jason Heyward,
John Lackey and Ben Zo-
brist in an effort to win their
first title since 1908.
After beating the Cubs
in the National League
Championship Series and
losing to Kansas City in the
World Series, the New York
Mets hiked spending by
nearly $38 million. Houston,
coming off its first playoff
appearance in a decade,
raised payroll by almost
$26 million after starting
last season with the lowest
in the major leagues, and
St. Louis also rose by nearly
the same amount.

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