The Smell of Money

Editor's Note: If you don't understand the photo, check your local listings for the next showing of "Trading Places." It's appointment viewing.

You can hear the crackle of the fire as the money burns its way out of the budget and into the payroll column. There's no surprise as to the two top spending teams--Chicago's AL franchise and Jacksonville tallied almost $200m in signings this season. Here are the three teams which awarded more than $50m in free agent deals this spring:


Chicago (A): $108.3m

Stewart Toombs: Four years, $80m

Ray Stone: Two years, $8.9m

Garrett Collins: Two years, $15m

Earle Edmonds: One year, $4.4m

Jacksonville: $74,3m

Joe Stein: Four years, $38m

Tony Snow: Three years, $12.3m

Benny Aybar: Four years, $24m

Chicago (N): $53m

Louis Fleming: Three years, $31.5 + $2m bonus

Skeeter Green: Two years, $3m

Slash Miles: Three years, $14.1m

Sadie Mecir: One year, $1m

Tomas Torres: Two years, $2.4m

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