Payroll numbers show a very healthy MLB

Financially, baseball looks as healthy as ever.

According to the annual Opening Day study by the Associated Press, 18 of the 30 teams increased their payrolls in 2012, led by the extraordinary investment by the Miami (nee Florida) Marlins, who are using revenue from their new ballpark to finance a payroll that's almost doubled from 2011, from $56.9 million to $112.1 million. (And that barely counts for the $19 million owed to pitcher Carlos Zambrano, whose salary is mostly the Cubs' responsibility.) The Marlins were 24th in payroll in 2011, and are eighth this year.

The New York Yankees actually decreased their payroll for the second consecutive season, but their $200.2 million is still No. 1 in baseball for the 12th year in a row, and the most by more than $26 million.

Check out the 2012 payrolls for all 30 teams, with their percentage change and average salary, with links to the player breakdown for all 30 teams.

The biggest percentage increases from 2011 to 2012:

• Marlins, +97.0 percent (to $112.1 million)
• Royals, +73.4 percent (to $62.6 million)
• Rays, +55.1 percent (to $65.0 million)
• Indians, +45.1 percent (to $71.4 million)
• Pirates, +37.8 percent (to $63.4 million)

The biggest percentage decreases:

• Cubs, -29.7 percent (to $88.2 million)
• White Sox, -24.3 percent (to $97.9 million)
• Mets, -22.2 percent (to $93.4 million)
• Athletics, -20.6 percent (to $52.9 million)
• Twins, -16.5 percent (to 94.1 million)