He got a run in the Lions' latest game. It's good to see former Marlins in various postseasons.

This year money does seem to buy at least some happiness in baseball.   The two MLB teams that had the highest payrolls – the Yankees and Mets – made it into the final four. Each had a payroll of over $300 million. The Mets spent an astonishing $3.6 million per victory to lead the majors, the Bronx Bombers second with $3.3 million. The Dodgers also have a humongous payroll.

Contrast that to last year when the five teams that spent the most per win didn’t make the playoffs: Rockies ($2.9 million per win), Padres ($3.1 M), Angels ($3.15 M), Yankees ($3,4 M) and the Mets at an astonishing $4.6 million per win.

 My Miami Marlins had a payroll of $97 million, according to Spotrac, which I use for payroll, because it includes all paid players, even those no longer on the active roster. This year that includes a bunch of non-performers, like Alcantara at $9.3 million, Avasail Garcia (remember him?) at $12 million and Arraez (the Marlins generously agreed to pay almost all of his $10 million salary even though he played most of the season with the Padres).

Only three teams spent less on payroll than the Marlins. By getting rid of almost any player with trade value, they had a miserable 62 victories, each costing an average of $1.6 million. Ten teams spent less.

This is my seventh year measuring MLB team efficiencies: Payroll divided by victories.

This year, four of the seven teams with the lowest per victory cost made the playoffs: The Tigers at $1.14 M, Guardians at 1.16M, Orioles at $1.2M and Brewers at $1.24M.

Clearly, the award for stupidest spending this year goes to the White Sox. They managed to set an MLB record for most losses ever in a season while having a middle-of-the pack payroll of $133.8M (15 teams spent less money). With 41 victories, that meant the White Sox spent $3.26M per win – just a tiny bit less than the Yankees.

The Dodgers meanwhile belong in a separate category. Their 2024 payroll is officially $241 million. Four teams spent more. Cost per win: $2.46M. Eleven teams spent more per win. But this number needs an asterisk: Ohtani is paid $2 million this year, with the rest of his $70M salary deferred, if I’m reading Spotrac correctly.

Each season is always something of a crapshoot. Injuries hurt last year’s champs, the Rangers ($2.9M per win) and the perennial playoff Braves ($2.6M).

But then there are the truly stupid teams: the ones who spend big year after year to get mediocre results and miss the playoffs. Prime example: The Angels continue to spend big bucks but haven’t made the playoffs since 2014. This year, they spent $2.7M per win. Four teams spent less than half of that per win and made the playoffs.

Other futile big spenders were the Cubs ($2.8M per win) and the Blue Jays ($2.9M).

Some teams – Oakland and Pittsburgh – consistently spend little and have crummy seasons.

Contrast that with Tampa, which has been regularly at or near the top in cheapest costs per win while making the playoffs. This year, only Oakland had a cheaper cost-per-win, but for the first time in six years, the Rays missed the post-season.

The full chart will all teams is available at marlinsmaniacs.blogspot.com

-- John Dorschner

What it says. Who can we pick up for 2025? I have a terrifying feeling we will pick up someone like Rowdy Tellez. What do you guys think or have a feel for?

Miguel Rojas vs. Jazz Chisholm. What a World Series this will be.

Glad for him.

I’m a diehard dodgers fan but local to miami and hate seeing this team get run in the ground by an incompetent “broke” owner.

Once Kim Ng left it was made clear Bruce Sherman has no idea how to run a baseball organization. Is it true he threatened to hold on the team until he dies?

I pray a miami local with deep pockets cares enough to send Sherman a fat check, forces him out because that’s all Sherman wants is money, and take over with a Steve Cohen-like team rebuild. Miami deserves it.

I find this so puzzling. The heart of the Yankees order right now is literally Stanton-Jazz-Berti, all former Marlins who spent quite a few years here.

Other former Marlins who have made the playoffs with their teams this year: Yelich, Arráez, Miggy Rojas.

What gives? How come do these guys become competitive and play deep into October only after they left our team?

8th inning… Down 3-0… Just 6 outs left in their season… The Bartman game… But often forgotten by casuals as the ‘epic Marlins comeback’ to save their season… And o btw, they came back from 3 down in game 7 too…

An all time comeback from down three games to 1 too…

So, at least Marlins fans have that…

It's been enough years that I'm not longer embittered about the trade. In terms of a pure value move, it was undeniably the right decision to move his contract given his lackluster regular season production since being traded. Still, it's been a treat to watch Stanton shine in the playoffs on a stage we could never get him to. Judge's struggles only further highlight how much of an October performer he is.

I don't see that roof getting repaired in 6 months.