The Brewers have just over $33 million committed to their starting rotation this season. That's an absolute bargain.

Barring any notable last-minute acquisitions, the Milwaukee Brewers are set to open the 2023 season with a payroll about $11.7 million lower than a year ago on opening day.

According to the salary tracking website Spotrac, the Brewers’ current, active payroll sits at $108,644,960 – a click down from the team’s outlay of just over $120 million early last April.

The biggest single subtraction was Lorenzo Cain’s contract falling off the books.

The centerfielder, who signed a five-year, $80 million deal in January of 2018, had a base salary of $18 million last season – a money drain if ever there was one considering the team cut ties with him a little over two months in yet was still on the hook for the remainder of his salary.

Cain, along with ex-Brewers Ryan Braun and Kolten Wong, will have deferred salary paid out to him in 2024 as well. Cain and Braun both will remain on Milwaukee’s books for several seasons after that as well as part of their original deals.

Christian Yelich accounts for 20% of the Brewers' payroll

Christian Yelich, whose base salary will once again be $26 million after signing his nine-year, $215 million extension in March 2020, accounts for just over one-fifth of the Brewers’ entire payroll this season (20.25%).

He is deferring $4 million every year through 2028.

There are two other eight-figure salaries on the books after Yelich’s – Brandon Woodruff’s $10.8 million and Corbin Burnes’s $10.01 million. Woodruff agreed to his deal in the offseason to avoid arbitration while Burnes went to a hearing with the team and lost, resulting in some nasty comments from Burnes in the aftermath.

Twenty players on Milwaukee’s roster will make $1 million or more this season, with newest addition Luke Voit due $2 million with a $12 million team option for 2024 with no buyout.

Looking at the Brewers positionally, they have $33,119,960 committed to the entirety of their starting rotation – an absolute bargain considering the New York Mets will be paying Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander $43,333,333 each this season.

Brewers' payroll ranks in the middle for Central Division

Where do the Brewers rank payroll-wise in the Central Division? Right in the middle.

According to Spotrac, the Chicago Cubs are tops in payroll with just over $170 million. The St. Louis Cardinals are second at just shy of $148 million.

After the Brewers, the Cincinnati Reds check in at almost $71 million and the Pittsburgh Pirates again bring up the rear at just shy of $61 million.

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