Headlines

  • Yankees Sign Corey Kluber
  • Yankees Re-Sign DJ LeMahieu
  • Padres Re-Sign Jurickson Profar
  • Giants Reach Agreement With Tommy La Stella
  • Nationals Sign Jon Lester
  • Blue Jays To Sign Marcus Semien
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • 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
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • Last 100 Comments
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Largest Contract In Franchise History For Each MLB Team

By Tim Dierkes | October 21, 2015 at 2:15pm CDT

In the last year, five franchise contract records were toppled.  How many will fall this offseason, with nine potential $100MM free agents?  Here’s our list of the largest contracts for each of the 30 teams.  If you’d like a trip down memory lane, each contract is linked to its MLBTR post, with the exception of those that predate the site’s existence.

  • Angels: Albert Pujols – 10 years, $240MM (plus personal services contract valued at $6,841,811).  Signed 12-8-11.
  • Astros: Carlos Lee – 6 years, $100MM.  Signed 11-24-06.
  • Athletics: Eric Chavez – 6 years, $66MM.  Signed 3-18-04.
  • Blue Jays: Vernon Wells – 7 years, $126MM.  Signed 12-18-06.
  • Braves: Freddie Freeman – 8 years, $135MM.  Signed 2-4-14.
  • Brewers: Ryan Braun – 5 years, $105MM.  Signed 4-21-11.
  • Cardinals: Matt Holliday – 7 years, $120MM.  Signed 1-7-10.
  • Cubs: Jon Lester – 6 years, $155MM.  Signed 12-13-14.
  • Diamondbacks: Yasmany Tomas – 6 years, $68.5MM.  Signed 11-26-14.
  • Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw – 7 years, $215MM.  Signed 1-17-14.
  • Giants: Buster Posey – 9 years, $167MM (replaced existing 1 year, $8MM deal).  Signed 3-29-13.
  • Indians: Travis Hafner – 4 years, $57MM.  Signed 7-11-07.
  • Mariners:  Robinson Cano – 10 years, $240MM.  Signed 12-12-13.
  • Marlins:  Giancarlo Stanton – 13 years, $325MM.  Signed 11-18-14.
  • Mets: David Wright – 8 years, $138MM.  Signed 12-4-12.
  • Nationals: Max Scherzer – 7 years, $210MM (present-day value of $191.4MM at time of signing).  Signed 1-21-15.
  • Orioles: Adam Jones – 6 years, $85.5MM.  Signed 5-25-12.
  • Padres: James Shields – 4 years, $75MM.  Signed 2-11-15.
  • Phillies: Cole Hamels – 6 years, $144MM.  Signed 7-25-12.
  • Pirates: Jason Kendall – 6 years, $60MM.  Signed 11-18-00.
  • Rangers:  Alex Rodriguez – 10 years, $252MM.  Signed 12-12-00.
  • Rays: Evan Longoria – 6 years, $100MM (team also exercised three club options from previous contract, which had a total value of $30MM).  Signed 11-26-12.
  • Red Sox: Manny Ramirez – 8 years, $160MM.  Signed 12-13-00.
  • Reds: Joey Votto – 10 years, $225MM.  Signed 4-2-12.
  • Rockies: Troy Tulowitzki – 10 years, $157.75MM (replaced three final years and option from previous contract).  Signed 11-30-10.
  • Royals: Gil Meche and Mike Sweeney – 5 years, $55MM.  Meche signed 12-7-06 and Sweeney signed 3-29-02.
  • Tigers:  Miguel Cabrera – 8 years, $248MM.  Signed 3-31-14.
  • Twins: Joe Mauer – 8 years, $184MM.  Signed 3-21-10.
  • White Sox: Jose Abreu – 6 years, $68MM.  Signed 10-29-13.
  • Yankees:  Alex Rodriguez – 10 years, $275MM.  Signed 12-13-07.
Share 68 Retweet 116 Send via email0

MLBTR Originals

MLBTR Chat: Chen, Murphy, Nats, LaRoche, Offseason Contracts
Main
2015-16 MLB Free Agent Tracker Now Available
16 comments
newest oldest

Comments

  1. Melvin McMurf

    5 years ago

    a lot of stinkers in there

    Like
    Reply
    • johnsilver

      5 years ago

      What I was thinking.. Wells, then saw Gil Meche.. Shame Sox’s Carl Crawford couldn’t get named as an honorable mention or something.

      Like
      Reply
  2. Brick DavisBrick Davis

    5 years ago

    one BOONDOGGLE after another… lol!

    Like
    Reply
  3. mizzourah87

    5 years ago

    A lot of awful contracts.

    Like
    Reply
  4. rct

    5 years ago

    Didn’t Gil Meche retire with a year or so left, leaving a lot of money on the table because he was injured? Always seemed like a classy move to me, even though it’s probably not what I would have done.

    Like
    Reply
    • johnsilver

      5 years ago

      Believe so. Wayne Garland did the same thing for Cleveland back in early 80’s after he blew out his rotor cuff in 2nd year of his 10y 2m deal. Back then? That was astronomical figure. he retired after year 5, leaving half the money on the table.

      Like
      Reply
  5. Ray RayRay Ray

    5 years ago

    Was anyone else stunned to see the names of Travis Hafner and Jason Kendall included here?

    Like
    Reply
  6. ilikebaseball

    5 years ago

    I bet some whiz kid could tell us which contract offered the best value with some sort of WAR/yr/$ equation. My money would be on the Manny Ramirez deal. Obviously most of these haven’t been finished yet, but it would be interesting.

    Like
    Reply
    • start_wearing_purplestart_wearing_purple

      5 years ago

      You wouldn’t need a whiz kid… just an hour and a net connection. What you’re describing is a basic ratio.

      Like
      Reply
      • terrymesmer

        5 years ago

        You would need a whiz kid to adjust for inflation (the oldest contract was signed in 2000, the most recent in 2015).

        Like
        Reply
      • johnsilver

        5 years ago

        Who would have thought that deal would turn out so great? Remember after year 4, or maybe it was year 3? Ramirez was doing his mope job, wanting to move and Epstein told him he’d put him on waivers, but nobody would claim the contract? Even him for free, just pay the rest and Ramirez was still one of the best hitters in the game.

        The guy could still hit for the entire term and perform, 8 years. Rare for a LT deal like that to pay off both ways.

        Like
        Reply
  7. sabrmatt

    5 years ago

    I believe you are incorrect about the Indians’ most expensive player. Didn’t they sign Nick Swisher to something like a 6 or 7 year deal worth in the neighborhood of 100 mil?

    Like
    Reply
    • Tim Dierkes

      5 years ago

      That deal was for $56MM.

      Like
      Reply
      • sabrmatt

        5 years ago

        So I see now…I’d forgotten that they got what the industry considered a bargain in that deal because he waited until late in the off-season…and it STILL turned out to be a terrible deal. LOL

        Like
        Reply
  8. ryan211

    5 years ago

    Seems like the Royals might be a decent bet to break their franchise mark. The bar isn’t very high, and they’ll have some money coming off the books by non-tendering Holland, declining Rios’s option, and (likely) losing Alex Gordon to free agency. They’ll also have some cash to spend from another post-season run, and some holes to fill in the OF and rotation.

    Like
    Reply
    • Ray RayRay Ray

      5 years ago

      If they do break it, it will probably be Alex Gordon. Otherwise, they will bargain around again. Although I still consider them dark horses for Zack Greinke. He loved it in KC and like you said they will have some playoff money to play with.

      Like
      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Yankees Sign Corey Kluber

    Yankees Re-Sign DJ LeMahieu

    Padres Re-Sign Jurickson Profar

    Giants Reach Agreement With Tommy La Stella

    Nationals Sign Jon Lester

    Blue Jays To Sign Marcus Semien

    Tigers To Sign Wilson Ramos

    Twins To Sign Andrelton Simmons

    Orioles Sign Freddy Galvis, Designate Chris Shaw

    No Players Elected To Hall Of Fame

    Recent

    Central News & Rumors: E. Rosario, A. Rosario, Rodon, Lester, Kuhl

    Giants Interested In Joc Pederson

    Yankees Sign Corey Kluber

    Yankees Re-Sign DJ LeMahieu

    Why I Don’t Use WHIP

    Testimonials From Trade Rumors Front Office Subscribers

    Padres Re-Sign Jurickson Profar

    Giants Reach Agreement With Tommy La Stella

    Mets To Sign Aaron Loup

    Nationals Sign Jon Lester

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Trevor Bauer Rumors
    • Kris Bryant Rumors
    • J.T. Realmuto Rumors
    • Marcell Ozuna Rumors
    • Masahiro Tanaka Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • 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
    • Indians 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

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • 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

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version