We've already looked at the largest contracts by team, service time, and position, so now let's round up the biggest contracts based on average annual value…
- Alex Rodriguez: $27.5MM (2008-2017)
- Alex Rodriguez: $25.2MM (2001-2007)
- Joe Mauer (2011-2018) & CC Sabathia (2009-2015): $23MM
- Johan Santana: $22.92MM (2008-2013)
- Manny Ramirez (2009-2010) & Mark Teixeira (2009-2016): $22.5MM
- Roger Clemens: $22MM (2006)
- Manny Ramirez (2001-2008) & Roy Halladay (2011-2013): $20MM
- Miguel Cabrera: $19.04MM (2008-2015)
- Derek Jeter: $18.9MM (2001-2010)
- Carlos Zambrano: $18.3MM (2008-2012)
The Yankees paid Clemens the pro-rated portion of a $28MM salary in 2007, but he only collected about $17.6MM since his season started in June.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
and Yankees fans still want to know why anyone would hate them….
You know what’s just as annoying as Yankee fans wondering why people hate them? People who constantly point it out.
Exactly as Mike said
Only people who take offense to it would find it a nuisance. Otherwise, there isn’t a reason to care.
But it’s something that said all the time
Just like how other people who hate the Yankees hate it when they say stuff like “Oh we have 27 titles we’re the best!!”
I don’t do that, but I”m just pointing it out, and don’t say you can’t stand that.
nah i don’t care how many titles the yankees have or how classy they say they are or anything like that.
what i can’t stand is the bandwagon lunatic yankee “fans” who go troll forum after forum saying, “yeah were so rich, lets go get every bigname free agent out their. just watch out, were gonna get cliff lee, carl crawford, albert pujols, everyone!!”
thats what gets under my skin, how moronic some bandwagon fans can be.
I hear you on that. It doesn’t particularly bother me as much as I find it to be worthless to even say. As far as the 27 titles are concerned, most of them were won well before my lifetime and few who make such remarks witnessed the championship runs of the 50s and before. Its really kind of amusing how people can lay claim to championships won by their favorite team 100 years ago (in some cases). It is irrelevant and funny from my perspective.
Sure the Yanks won their 27th. They’re perennial contenders in large part because they do spend (and gross) a considerable amount more than any other team in baseball. What does bother me is that people acclaim yankee management for bringing so much money in year after year. They’re New York’s golden child. It’s not that hard. Yankee fans who dog KC and the Marlins for not upping their payroll is suspect at best. The Yanks play by the rules and out spend everyone else by a wide margin. There is nothing wrong with it, but it’s an undeniable truth. They use all their means to compete, and I greatly respect that.
Fair points I’d say
Fair points I’d say
Ferrariman, I hate bandwagoners as well, the Yankee bandwagon fans annoy me more than any other because they are embarrassing. I hope Cashman continues a trend of building the farm as much as possible and using FA to fill one or two needs, I don’t like having a team full of FA’s.
nhsox, I agree with everything you said, as a Yanks fan I’ll boast about being the most recent champions, but doing the whole 27 titles thing is arrogant. The Yankees have an unfair advantage in that they make the most money, but the system lets them use that advantage and they do, any other team in the league would as well if they could. So I don’t hate on the Marlins or Royals for spending less, in fact when the Marlins win 2 world series’ I commend them for doing it with such finite resources.
What a shock, people hating the Yankees for spending money, no surprise to me
Until baseball changes its rules, they are doing nothing wrong
“Until baseball changes its rules, they are doing nothing wrong”
Just like Steroids!
Exactly! Except that they were illegal in the United States!!!
Not exactly… Steroid users have always been ahead of the law makers (cant have it any other way really) and many things used by many of the players which are now considered against the rules were actually legal in the country; and especially in other countries players can visit almost anytime they choose.
It should also be noted that many steroids/PEDs were/are easily available to absolutely anyone, and many people taking ones that are illegal don’t always know they are committing a crime. Take HGH for instance. It is readily available even now on the internet; sometimes under its proper description, sometimes under the guise of an anti-aging drug.
And when you get into specifics, you find things like Androstenedione. This is what McGwire openly took. It was legal until 2004, and found over the counter till that time. Baseball put it in its rules for 2005 after the US made it illegal, 7 years after McGwire was openly using it.
Exactly! Except that they were illegal in the United States!!!
Right, because the Yankees are the only team that do steroids
sore-spot I take it? Because I can only ask, who said (or even implied) they are?
Seemed as if you were, but sorry sometimes I can’t detect sarcasm on the internet.
Seemed as if you were, but sorry sometimes I can’t detect sarcasm on the internet.
Right, because the Yankees are the only team that do steroids
“Until baseball changes its rules, they are doing nothing wrong”
Just like Steroids!
I’ll probably be attacked by every Cubs fan here… but does anyone else think Zambrano is obscenely overpaid? I can’t point to anything he’s done since 2005 that would make him an ace. Sure, above average, but that’s it.
He did pitch that no-hitter after he came back from an injury…
But, yeah, Zambrano is ridiculously overpaid and they would give him away if anyone would take him and he didn’t have that no-trade clause.
Yeah, he’s ridiculously overpaid. He was overpaid as a starter, and it’s kinda gone into epicly awful territory since he’s now an 18.3MM reliever. And not a closer either, a set up man.
And you shouldn’t be attacked, because it’s painfully true.
He joins Barry Zito, circa 2007, and his banishment, albeit short-lived, to the bullpen.
You shant be attacked. Out of the contracts on that list, his is the one that sticks out like a sore thumb.
I’d say the only one worse than that would be Clemens in 2006
Ryan Howard should be there. He has a 3 yr 54 million dollar contract, averaging 18.66/yr
I’m pretty sure 54 divided by 3 is 18.
Who doesn’t confuse 54 with 56 from time to time? :)
You have to spend money to make money. It’s worked pretty well for the Yankees, and they’ve done it all within the rules of the MLB. Baseball is a business, so there really isn’t any reason for anyone to be upset with them. If you think the success and money they have made over a century of winning gives them an “unfair” advantage, don’t blame the Yankees, blame the MLB and stop supporting it until they change the rules. Same goes for the Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, and every other team that spends more than teams like Florida and Kansas City.
Besides, whether ARod gets paid 27 million by the Yankees, or 23 million by the Angels, he’s still Arod. And they spent 22 million on Clemens and didn’t get barely anything. Would it be fair if Toronto got Clemens for 14 million, and he gave them nothing?
Not really sure what point you’re trying to make here.
Not really sure what point you’re trying to make here.
the cubs have Zambrano, Soriano at 19, Ramirez at 16,750 and Fukadome at 14, good luck with that…
The 18.66 comes from 56 divided by 3. I couldn’t remember if the contract was worth 54 or 56 million dollars.
The 18.66 comes from 56 divided by 3. I couldn’t remember if the contract was worth 54 or 56 million dollars.
If there’s a tie for 3rd, the one immediately below them is 5th.