The Nats have spent $69 million less in payroll than the MLB average since the first ten years of the Lerners ownership (2007-16).
...the Lerners have pledged to invest every dollar of profit they make from the team back into the franchise for the first decade of their stewardship...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051002292.htmlRank Total Salary Team
1 556,819,800 Miami Marlins
2 593,955,728 Tampa Bay Rays
3 612,223,614 Pittsburgh Pirates
4 673,639,699 Oakland A's
5 684,307,415 San Diego Padres
6 709,967,403 Houston Astros
7 743,829,876 Cleveland Indians
8 744,555,590 Arizona Diamondbacks
9 765,639,913 Kansas City Royals (1)
10 816,598,585 Colorado Rockies
11 876,838,700 Minnesota Twins
12 886,948,378 Milwaukee Brewers
13 898,574,133 Cincinnati Reds
14 900,331,943 Baltimore Orioles
15 926,996,230 Atlanta Braves
16 937,772,260 Washington Nationals
17 960,459,442 Toronto Blue Jays
18 996,428,837 Seattle Mariners
19 1,009,312,326 Texas Rangers
20 1,055,128,731 St Louis Cardinals (1)
21 1,084,591,977 Chicago White Sox
22 1,098,485,869 New York Mets
23 1,142,576,802 Chicago Cubs (1)
24 1,216,259,120 San Francisco Giants (3)
25 1,321,644,939 Los Angeles Angels
26 1,365,559,898 Detroit Tigers
27 1,404,458,778 Philadelphia Phillies (1)
28 1,569,413,481 Los Angeles Dodgers
29 1,579,495,202 Boston Red Sox (2)
30 2,071,557,668 New York Yankees (1)
1,006,812,411 Average