2036.10 - The Long Beach Independent - The Fans Are Back

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FAN INTEREST, SEASON TICKETS UP

March 31, 2036
Long Beach, CA

Let's take a look at the state of the team's fan interest, ticket sales, and other financials as we begin the 2036 season. The recent acquisition of C Ippolito Basaglia (.253/.334/.445, 140 HR, 396 RBI) appears to already be paying off, with Fan Interest as measured by the OOTP Financial Bureau is at 97, a height not seen since the 2029 championship season. It's also up about 5% since the start of the offseason. Season ticket sales of 26,200 are already nearly 6% better than last season, with a little more time to go. The team drew only 3,395,375 fans last season, one of their worst turnouts in recent memory. This was just 11th in the league, a very poor performance for a team that has historically had no problems drawing over 4 million, and regularly leads the league in the category, even when they were in Tucson.

Having cleared the Ken Jenkins contract off of the books last season, the payroll is a comfortable $105.5 million to start the season, despite being rather top heavy. The top earner on the team this season will be star SS J.J. McQuade (.285/.325/.444, 69 HR, 313 RBI) earning $16.3 million for his services. Widely panned as overpayed, McQuade is the type that puts buts in the seats, so we can see why the front office thinks he's worth it. Also at the top of the salary list ($14MM) is Carlos Gonzales (.306/.366/.537, 281 HR, 778 RBI), the most highly decorated of the Surfers and an annual competitor and one time winner of the Sawyer Silk award. Mike Bailey (132 - 101, 4.12 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 1591 K) rounds out the top 3, due $12 million plus generous incentives this year as he looks to repeat his stellar 2035 campaign.

With $4.5 million before they hit the cap, the Surfers will have at least a little room to play with in trades. Looking forward to 2037, and the rumored mega class of free agents, the team has only $87.5 million in estimated commitments on the payroll. This would give them at least $22.5 million to play with in free agency, and more depending on non-tenders, a team option for Mike Bailey (132 - 101, 4.12 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 1591 K), and CarGo's opt-out. Rumors are that the team will be looking to extend CarGo, but there is no news regarding what he is asking for.