Is the state income tax limiting the Padres chances at big names?

One thing that I never thought about when it came to why Pablo Sandoval didn't come to the Padres: Higher taxes. As Ken Rosenthal tweeted today...

One problem for #SFGiants, #Dodgers in pursuit of Lester. Higher state income tax in California. Need to be millions above #Cubs, #RedSox.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 9, 2014

Ignoring for a second the "if you look for it" implication that the Padres/Angels/Oakland don't share the problem that the Giants and Dodgers share, we can see how this is an issue for a financially savvy baseball player. Working through the latest numbers I could find on the nearest back of an envelope I had, Pablo Sandoval's $19 million a year contract could be taxed at 5.3% in Massachusetts while, in California, he would be taxed at 12.3% after the initial million bucks per year that he makes. In other words, he gets almost a million dollar per year taken out of his paycheck in Boston and 2.3 million taken out per year in San Diego.

The equivalent $95 million contract therefore should have been closer to $103 million for five years if we wanted him to take advantage of the San Diego "discount". You throw that in with how much more he potentially values regular trips to the post season versus living in paradise and that gives perhaps a few clues as to what other players are thinking when it comes to decisions that they make in regards to free agency. If you're going to earn millions of dollars that you're going to be unable to reasonably spend, you need to make sure that at least the possibility of spending all of it is there.