I think this may be where come confusion came in. I don't see how Mcguirk ever stated we'd have a top 10 payroll team at all, much less in 2017. I never listen to politician talk, so I never assumed that. Payroll increased approximately 25% depending on which year you want to focus on and how you want to account for salaries dumped. Is a 25% a major bump? I guess it could be categorized as so, but that's misleading since I believe we planned on flipping assets like Colon and Garcia in July anyways in a "mirage season" I think we'll be similar to last year in that 120M range and another jump the following year if we're competitive. I look at this like a loan. We have a 30 year 420M mortgage. We have to pay some heavy interest upfront, but we should see steady increases in payroll as the "interest" is paid off and increased revenues continue to come in.

ABC: If revenues increase like expected, will payroll increase?

TM: Absolutely. We are not going to be the Los Angeles Dodgers, which have become unsustainable. The Dodgers' operating theory is so unsustainable that they themselves have said, “We’re going to reduce $100 million of payroll.” It’s crazy what they did and they now know it. New owners do this. Almost every time baseball has a new owner they sort of go haywire and then they come back down. We’ve been in the middle of the pack as far as payroll — that’s not where we want to be going forward. We’re going to be much better.

ABC: Can we expect to see a top 10 payroll team?

TM: I think that’s where we want to be. I think we would expect ourselves to be. The proof is in the pudding. We have to have all of this coalesce and work. Our confidence level is so high that it’s as close to being in our plans as we can get it right now as far as our operating plan and how everything we are doing.

ABC: When can we expect to see the Braves in the top 10 in terms of payroll?

TM: I won’t give you a timetable, but you will start seeing major jumps 1/1/17.