The Rangers could free up money with an Alfonso Soriano trade, and there have been a few teams showing interest there. Best guess is that Hicks will bump the payroll to a little more than $70 million in 2006. Deduct A-Rod's $9 million, and we're looking at something in the low to mid-$60s. That's not where a top 10 market should be, but it's better. Keep in mind that the White Sox just won a world championship with a payroll of around $75 million, and $8 million of that went to Frank Thomas, who spent the entire season on the disabled list. "It's not hundreds of millions that are winning this thing every year," Daniels said. "The mid-tier payrolls have proven over the last four or five years that they can not just compete, but win."