NEW YORK — All eight playoff teams are among the top half of the 30 major-league clubs when it comes to payrolls, led by the New York Yankees at nearly $203 million.

New York's payroll as of Aug. 31, the last day before active rosters expanded, was a major-league-record $202,978,809 — nearly triple that of the San Diego Padres.

Among the other playoff teams, the World Series champion Boston Red Sox were second at $126,800,160, and the Los Angeles Angels were fifth at $96,140,560.

The NL champion St. Louis Cardinals had the highest payroll among the NL playoff teams, 10th at $83,510,604, and the Houston Astros were 11th at $77,453,843. The Atlanta Braves were 12th at $74,977,433.

Among the four AL playoff teams, the Chicago White Sox had the lowest payroll, 13th in the majors at $74,273,478. The Padres were 15th in the big leagues at $70,503,572.

Those figures are for 25-man rosters, the traditional measuring point in the major leagues.

The figures, which don't include earned performance bonuses, are unofficial. The rosters include players on the disabled list, and the salaries take into account prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income.

Final payroll figures, which include both performance and award bonuses, will not be available until late December.

Notes

• Joe Girardi met for about 90 minutes Thursday with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria in Manhattan. Girardi is a leading candidate to replace Jack McKeon as Marlins manager, the Hartford Courant reported.

• Designated hitter Matthew LeCroy was among three players taken off Minnesota's 40-man roster yesterday.

LeCroy, a popular teammate who batted .260 with 17 home runs and 50 runs batted in in 304 at-bats this year, has spent his entire career with the Twins. Also outrighted to Class AAA Rochester were outfielder Jason Tyner and third baseman Glenn Williams.

Also, Minnesota declined the $8.5 million option on the contract of right-hander Joe Mays and confirmed that third-base coach Al Newman has accepted a job with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a professional scout.

• Colorado Rockies outfielder Dustan Mohr opted for free agency after refusing an assignment to Class AAA Colorado Springs. The Rockies had declined a mutual option for next season.

Mohr, 29, hit .214 with 38 RBI in 98 games this season. His career-high 17 home runs was third on the team.

• Chris Magruder and Victor Santos were among five players taken off the Milwaukee Brewers' 40-man roster.

Magruder hit .205 this season with two homers, pinch-hitting and filling in the outfield for the Brewers. Santos finished the season with a 4-13 record and a 4.57 earned-run average.

The Brewers also dropped infielder Trent Durrington and pitchers Luis Pena and Julio Santana.

• Darryl Strawberry's wife has filed for divorce.

Charisse Strawberry filed a petition for dissolution of marriage from the former baseball star in Hillsborough County, Fla., family court.

"My marriage is past the point of reconciliation," she said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. "I wish Darryl the best and continue to pray for him."

Darryl Strawberry, an eight-time All-Star and member of two World Series winners, has overcome a drug addiction, prison term and cancer. The 43-year-old served 11 months in prison in 2002-03 for violating probation on cocaine possession charges.

Most recently, Delray Beach police charged Strawberry with filing a false police report after making up a story alleging that his SUV had been stolen.