The Nationals' 2019 opening day payroll of $185 million ranks fifth in the majors, behind the Red Sox, Cubs, Yankees and Dodgers, according to the Associated Press' annual calculations.
The 2020 MLB salary cap = $208 million. So doesn't that mean the Nats could increase payroll by $23 million without going over the salary cap ?
In 2019, Strasburg was paid $31 million and Rendon was paid $19 million.