So far this offseason, we have seen whole lot of big money contracts handed out. In early December, Albert Pujols signed with the Angels for an eye-popping $240MM over ten years. Some speculated that Prince Fielder might not get a deal on the same scale as suitors appeared to drop out but the slugger hooked up with the Tigers on a nine-year, $214MM deal. This winter also brought significant paydays for Jose Reyes, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, Jonathan Papelbon, and others.
However, there were also plenty of bargains to be had this offseason and so far we have seen nine players ink guaranteed deals worth less than $1MM in base pay. Using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker, here's a look at some of the most payroll-friendly Major League signings of the 2011-12 offseason..
- Chris Snyder: $850K with the Astros
- Matt Treanor: $850K with the Dodgers
- Joel Zumaya: $800K with the Twins
- Adam Kennedy: $800K with the Dodgers
- Brian Schneider: $800K with the Phillies
- Clay Hensley: $750K with the Giants
- J.C. Romero: $750K with the Cardinals
- Jack Cust: $600K with the Astros
- Andrew Brackman: $480K with the Reds
This marks Treanor's second consecutive induction into the Six-Figure Contract Club as he re-upped with the Rangers on an $850K guaranteed deal last year. Each deal listed is for one year but the contracts of Treanor, Snyder, and Cust all include options for the 2013 season. With Spring Training just around the corner and several big vets still remaining on the open market, we're sure to see some high-profile inductees added to this list.
