Q. With the Yankees payroll at $208,097,414 and the Phillies payroll at $111,209,046, why does anyone watch the World Series? Why aren’t people refusing to watch the game until they all play by the same salary rules?
— Jon Latta, Greensboro, N.C.

A. I don't want to sound like an MLB defender, but here goes. Basically the same salary rules have been in place for awhile, and the Yankees hadn’t won a World Series in nine years prior to winning this one.

In fact, their payroll was slightly higher in 2008 than it was in 2009, and they didn’t even make the playoffs last year, let alone win the World Series.

Does it look like they bought a World Series title by signing Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia last winter? Yes, it does. No argument there.

But there are no guarantees that spending equals championships, and all the evidence you need is in the fact that only the Red Sox and Yankees have won two World Series this decade, while six other teams also won one – including the Marlins and Diamondbacks.

That said, clearly the Yankees are the exception to all rules when it comes to salaries and revenues. They generate so much more revenue than everybody else due to their local television and radio packages (they own their own regional TV network) and prices they can charge for seats at the new Yankee Stadium, and that allows them to have a $200-million payroll and still make money.

And that’s after they pay a ton in luxury taxes and revenue sharing – both of which have gone a ways to leveling the salary field in the game.

You’re never going to see a hard salary cap and everybody in MLB with the same payroll. It’s just not going to happen due to the discrepancies in local revenues between the big-money teams (especially the Yankees) and the have-nots.

But the rules in place — revenue sharing, luxury taxes — have evened it out a bit.

That has led to recent cost-cutting, and we’re going to see even more of it when the market is flooded with non-tendered free agents. Even the Yankees are planning to cut payroll.

It’s an imperfect system, one that needs to be further tweaked to narrow the revenues gap. But it’s still the World Series, and that’s why people watch. And by the way, the ratings were sky-high compared to recent Fall Classics.

Q. Has Jamey Carroll re-signed with the Indians for 2010?
— Larry Erwin, Newburgh, Ind.

A. No, Carroll hasn’t re-signed, and has filed for free agency, so it’s likely that he won’t return to the Tribe for a couple of logical reasons.

Luis Valbuena is expected to be the Indians’ regular second baseman to begin 2010, and prospect Jason Donald should surface at some point next season.

Given that the Indians are in a rebuilding/cash-conscious mode, they want a younger player than a pricier veteran in a backup role.

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And from Carroll’s point of view, at age 36 and at this point in his career, you know he wants to play for an established contender.

In fact, I’m surprised he wasn’t dealt before the July 31 trade deadline, so he could have finished last season amidst a pennant race.

Carroll is one of those guys who plays better than his numbers; an excellent defensive player who does all the little things, executes the fundamentals, and is a quiet leader in the clubhouse.

Don’t be surprised if he lands a job as a role player on a contender, probably in the National League, where his versatility is a bigger asset. The Dodgers reportedly have some interest, and they’d be wise to sign him.

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