Higher Draft, international spending offset payroll drop

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The White Sox payroll drop from $112 million in 2013 to somewhere in the $80 million range in 2014 was explained in greater detail by general manager Rick Hahn on Tuesday.

"One, the overall expenditures by our department may not drop significantly, in part because we will be spending in excess of $10 million on the [First-Year Player] Draft, which is a huge step up," Hahn said. "We're going to be spending in the vicinity of $5 million internationally, which again is a big step up over where we were. While it may not necessarily be on the big league field, the money is still going out the doors to improving us player wise.

"Additionally, it was an underperforming year for us on the field, and that was reflected at the gate last year. It's going to be a tick down from where we were last year. [White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf] has always run it that what comes in goes back on the field and if a little bit less comes in, then a little bit less goes out."

Given that the White Sox are trying to get younger, a little bit more affordability comes with the change.

"We don't think that even a modest decrease in the total expenditures on the baseball side is necessarily going to hurt our competiveness," Hahn said. "It is somewhat consistent with trying to get younger."