We know that the Phillies performed poorly on the field in 2014. Off the field financially the Phillies may have been much worse. The 2014 Phillies had the largest payroll of their existence in 2014 at a reported $186 million by year's end. The Phillies had nothing to show for except a huge operational loss, according to a report.
Forbes magazine listed their annual baseball franchise rankings. The numbers show that the Phillies lost $39 million in 2014. The good news is that the Phillies franchise is now worth $1.250 billion, a far cry from the $30 million the investors spent to purchase the team in 1981. While the operating loss is significant, the team continues to gain value from year to year.
In 2015, the Phillies payroll will be about $140 million, almost exactly a decline from their loss last year. This means that the Phillies are looking to hold steady until their boost from their new television contract that will kick in after the 2015 season.
The Phillies thought that fans would not approve of trading older veteran players that did not help them win. Phillies fans demonstrated that they were not interested in buying tickets to watch A.J. Burnett lose 18 games, and even fond memories of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins were not enough to make them buy tickets.
h/t to Jon Morosi who posted this information in a tweet.
