Headlines

  • Shelby Miller Diagnosed With UCL Sprain; Brewers Select Joel Payamps
  • Red Sox To Place Roman Anthony On Injured List
  • Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diagnosed With Torn ACL
  • Braves Claim Ha-Seong Kim From Rays
  • Jason Adam Likely Headed For Season-Ending Quad Surgery
  • Mariners Promote Harry Ford, Release Donovan Solano
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

The Six-Figure Contract Club

By Mike Axisa | February 5, 2011 at 7:48pm CDT

Big money contracts rule the offseason and rumor circuit, which is why Ben Nicholson-Smith recently recapped the 20 biggest free agent deals of the offseason. Three players signed for $100MM+, four others signed for $50MM+, and five others signed for $30MM+. Not everyone is that lucky though.

As MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows, a total of 15 players have signed guaranteed one-year contracts worth less than a million bucks this winter. That does not include minor league contracts, incentives, or option years. As Spring Training draws closer, you can expect to see more players added to this pool. Here's a list of those 15 players, sorted by highest contract value to lowest…

  1. Dustin Moseley: $900K with the Padres.
  2. Joel Peralta: $900K with the Rays.
  3. Fred Lewis: $900K with the Reds.
  4. Matt Albers: $880K with the Red Sox.
  5. Matt Treanor: $850K with the Rangers.
  6. Jorge Cantu: $850K with the Padres.
  7. Wil Nieves: $775K with the Brewers.
  8. Brian Tallet: $750K with the Cardinals.
  9. Ryan Rowland-Smith: $720K with the Astros.
  10. Justin Duchscherer: $700K with the Orioles.
  11. Nick Punto: $700K with the Cardinals.
  12. Tony Gwynn Jr.: $675K with the Dodgers.
  13. Jay Gibbons: $650K with the Dodgers.
  14. Taylor Buchholz: $600K with the Mets.
  15. Scott Olsen: $500K with the Pirates.

All but Treanor, Cantu, Punto, Duchscherer, and Gibbons were non-tendered. Moseley, Albers, Nieves, Rowland-Smith, Gwynn, and Buchholz all remain under team control beyond 2011 as arbitration-eligible players.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Uncategorized

Pujols Talks Not Going Well
Main
Michael Young Rumors: Saturday
View Comments (26)
Post a Comment

26 Comments

  1. Dan Radin

    15 years ago

    Must suck to *only* get paid $500k to play ball for a living and have the winter off.

    Reply
    • Dylan

      15 years ago

      Yah, I have my summers off, being a teacher but its going to take a couple years to even come close to making what Olsen does minus a zero….damn.

      Reply
    • FrankTheFunkasaurusRex

      15 years ago

      doesn’t a lot of the money go to the agent/agencies

      Reply
      • Vinny Jeseo

        15 years ago

        usually an agent only gets between 1 and 3 percent of the value of a contract. They make the big money from the marketing/sponsorship deals they work out.

        Reply
  2. Jeff Roper

    15 years ago

    I sure wish I had to “settle” for $500K

    Reply
    • start_wearing_purple

      15 years ago

      Really, I’d prefer the pittance I make compared to having to settle for half a million a year to play the game I love.

      Reply
  3. Ryan Bick

    15 years ago

    Your forgetting Chris Denorfia (Padres) signed for $800,000

    Reply
    • Mike Axisa

      15 years ago

      He wasn’t a free agent, he was under team control and that contract avoided arbitration.

      Reply
      • Ryan Bick

        15 years ago

        Ahhh, I did not see it was only free agents. Makes sense, thanks for the update.

        Reply
  4. danorage

    15 years ago

    Justin Duchscherer was a great deal for the pirates if healthy!

    Reply
    • Dylan

      15 years ago

      Or if the Pirates signed him….

      Reply
    • start_wearing_purple

      15 years ago

      Isn’t he a great deal for the Pirates if he’s not healthy?

      Reply
  5. phoenix2042

    15 years ago

    there are actually a couple good players on that list… seeing good players making next to nothing (comparatively) makes me wonder how one manages to trade vernon wells and his whole contract…

    Reply
    • Michael Wilson

      15 years ago

      500k is next to nothing.

      Reply
      • phoenix2042

        15 years ago

        exactly

        Reply
        • Michael Wilson

          15 years ago

          Makes perfect sense

          Reply
  6. East Coast Bias

    15 years ago

    Dennys Reyes

    Reply
    • Michael Wilson

      15 years ago

      Minor league deal.

      Reply
  7. CoachZ

    15 years ago

    A few decent pick-ups here for relatively low cost….
    I like Lewis to Cin..may end up being a key contributor, and solid insurance as an everyday guy if someone goes down.
    Cantu is a bargain…yes he had a bad year last year, but he’s proven he can hit NL pitching and can play more than one position. Being in SD may not be great for his overall numbers, but I see him playing well enough to get a sizable raise next year.
    The Orioles are actually looking pretty decent this year…at least on offense. If Duschscherer is healthy and can boost the staff, they may make a run at a wild-card.
    I also like Punto in STL. Kinda guy Larussa can really take advantage of…and with 3b still an open position he could be a decent every day guy.
    The rest of the players on that list are in the final year or two of their career.

    Reply
  8. powertech84

    15 years ago

    I thought all one year contracts were non-guaranteed? Am i wrong?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Shelby Miller Diagnosed With UCL Sprain; Brewers Select Joel Payamps

    Red Sox To Place Roman Anthony On Injured List

    Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diagnosed With Torn ACL

    Braves Claim Ha-Seong Kim From Rays

    Jason Adam Likely Headed For Season-Ending Quad Surgery

    Mariners Promote Harry Ford, Release Donovan Solano

    Phillies Sign Walker Buehler To Minors Contract

    Red Sox Extend Aroldis Chapman

    Administrative Leave For Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz Extended “Until Further Notice”

    Cubs To Sign Carlos Santana

    Red Sox Release Walker Buehler

    Pirates Place Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Outright Waivers

    Randy Rodriguez Recommended To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Padres Place Xander Bogaerts On IL With Foot Fracture

    Cardinals To Promote Jimmy Crooks

    Red Sox To Promote Payton Tolle

    Corey Seager To Undergo Appendectomy, Not Ruled Out For Season

    Frankie Montas To Undergo UCL Surgery

    Guardians Release Carlos Santana

    Brewers Place Trevor Megill On IL Due To Flexor Strain, Sign Erick Fedde

    Recent

    Mariners Claim José Castillo, Designate Joe Jacques For Assignment

    Shelby Miller Diagnosed With UCL Sprain; Brewers Select Joel Payamps

    Angels Claim Logan Davidson

    White Sox Claim Ben Cowles

    Nationals Claim Sauryn Lao, Designate Darren Baker For Assignment

    Red Sox To Place Roman Anthony On Injured List

    MLB Mailbag: Tucker, Bellinger, Grisham, Cardinals, Royals, Angels, Twins

    Mariners, Guillo Zuñiga Agree To Minor League Deal

    Mets Notes: Senga, Taylor, Marte

    MLBTR Podcast: Aroldis Chapman, And Offseason Possibilities For The Braves, Rangers, Pirates And Marlins

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version