NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is starting to spread the wealth.

The Miami Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels all had hefty boosts in payroll during the offseason, along with the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals, according to a study of major league contracts by The Associated Press.

The New York Yankees, of course, remain the cash king and topped $200 million on opening day for the fifth consecutive year. The major league average salary rose 4.1 percent to $3.44 million, the steepest hike since 2008.