Opening Day salary to break $4 million for first time

Even before the first pitch of the 2015 season is thrown, an eye-popping baseball record will be set.

The average salary when Opening Day rosters are finalized Sunday will break the $4 million benchmark for the first time, according to a study of all major league contracts by the Associated Press. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw tops players at $31 million this year and Los Angeles projects to open the season with a payroll at about $270 million, easily a record.

"We're enjoying a tremendously bountiful season in baseball," said Toronto pitcher R.A. Dickey, the 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner with the New York Mets.

Fueled by the largest two-year growth in more than a decade, the average salary projects to be about $4.25 million, according to the AP study, with the final figure depending on how many players are put on the disabled list before the first pitch is thrown. That is up from $3.95 million on the first day of last season and $3.65 million when 2013 began.

"MLB's revenues have grown in recent years, with the increase in national and local broadcast rights fees being a primary contributor," said Dan Halem, MLB's chief legal officer.

Baseball's average was approximately $50,000 in 1976, the last year before free agency. Back then, many players took offseason jobs to pay their bills.

The average salary broke the $1 million mark in 1992, topped $2 million in 2001 and reached $3 million in 2008.

Vice President of Ballpark Operations Carl Rice said the left- and center-field bleachers are scheduled to be ready May 11, with the right-field bleachers set to be ready in mid-June.

Rice said the Cubs are spending $50 million more than originally planned on the renovation project, and confirmed it will take them up to five years to complete instead of four.

• Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander won't make his scheduled start Thursday. He could pitch in a minor league game Friday, but if he doesn't, he will miss his first scheduled regular-season start vs. the Twins on Wednesday. He has been battling sore triceps.

• The 2-year-old son of Colorado pitcher John Axford is in stable condition a week after getting bitten twice by a rattlesnake at spring training in Arizona. Doctors likely have saved the foot, though Jameson Axford could still face losing a toe or two, Rockies officials said.

• Pitcher Freddy Garcia agreed to a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who also agreed to pay reliever Mike Adams a $100,000 retention bonus and told pitcher Dustin McGowan they plan to release him.

• Kansas City released three-time All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal, two weeks after he signed a minor league deal.