Here’s our list of the largest contract each of the 30 MLB teams has ever signed. Each contract is linked to its MLBTR post, with the exception of those that predate the site’s existence.
- Angels: Mike Trout – 10 years, 360MM. Signed 3-21-19.
- Astros: Jose Altuve – 5 years, $151MM. Signed 3-20-18.
- 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: Christian Yelich – 7 years, $188.5MM. Signed 3-6-2020.
- Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt – 5 years, $130MM. Signed 3-24-19.
- Cubs: Jason Heyward – 8 years, $184MM. Signed 12-15-15.
- Diamondbacks: Zack Greinke – 6 years, $206.5MM. Signed 12-8-15.
- Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw – 7 years, $215MM. Signed 1-17-14.
- Giants: Buster Posey – 8 years, $159MM. Signed 3-29-13.
- Indians: Edwin Encarnacion – 3 years, $60MM. Signed 1-7-17.
- 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: Stephen Strasburg – 7 years, $245MM. Signed 12-9-19.
- Orioles: Chris Davis – 7 years, $161MM. Signed 1-21-16.
- Padres: Manny Machado – 10 years, $300MM. Signed 2-19-19.
- Phillies: Bryce Harper – 13 years, $330MM. Signed 2-28-19.
- 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: David Price – 7 years, $217MM. Signed 12-4-15.
- Reds: Joey Votto – 10 years, $225MM. Signed 4-2-12.
- Rockies: Nolan Arenado – 7 years, $234MM. Signed 2-26-19.
- Royals: Alex Gordon – 4 years, $72MM. Signed 1-6-16.
- Tigers: Miguel Cabrera – 8 years, $248MM. Signed 3-31-14.
- Twins: Joe Mauer – 8 years, $184MM. Signed 3-21-10.
- White Sox: Yasmani Grandal – 4 years, $73MM. Signed 11-21-19.
- Yankees: Gerrit Cole – 9 years, $324MM. Signed 12-10-19.
Is there some weird math why Trout’s contract extension isn’t bigger than Rendon’s FA contract? I see other extensions are included so it can’t be free agent related.
Not in the game
Yeah, that’s my fault. I was looking at Angels FA contracts instead of all their deals. It’s fixed now. Thanks.
What about Mike Trouts record deal that is the Angels largest deal
Not in the game
Nobody knows what you’re saying.
facts
This article reminds me of the dark knight
which reminds me of the poo emoji
Which reminds me of the dead skunk under our shed.
which reminds me of how the Mets cant keep SP healthy
degrom????????
knock on wood!!! twardog, we have bad enough luck, don’t try to jinx Degrom.
Rendon is Angel’s largest over Trout?
Not in the game
Stop repeating this, you maniac.
What the hell are you saying?
i agree with both reveriedays and astick
So nice he had to say it thrice
this will become a trend
Hold up the Indians’ largest contract ever is Edwin Encarnacion?
*scoffs* Cheapskates.
*sudden realization* Jose Ramirez you idiot!
Why does Rendon always end up in the divisions that I like, but not the teams that I like! I’m gonna be mad when Rendon starts teeing off against the Rangers, he already did it to the Mets!
You like the Rangers and Mets? Weird. I like the Angels and Marlins. I guess that’s kinda weird.
I’ve always liked the Rangers, but over the past few seasons I have really liked the Mets. But I just can’t watch their games very often because I don’t have MLB tv. But you better believe I’m watching every single Rangers game of the year.
I like the Rangers, Reds, Cards and Yanks. In football its Cowboys and Browns.
Pirates are out here ballin’ in cash. I mean, Jason Kendall for 6 yrs 60 mil. Save some for the rest of us Pitt.
That was still a lot in 2000.
I just wish the Pirates would’ve signed Jason Bay instead of the Mets, but who cares. BTW I just read the comments of the “Jason Bay signs with the Mets” article from ten years ago here on MLBTR, and it was funny beause some people were so pumped the Mets got him… lol… just lol. Oh and they saw RBI’s as a valuable stat! Dudes would get heckled for saying that today.
60 million in 2000 is more than the White Sox who dished out a whole 73 million in 2020 dollars! Or the Indians who ponied up a whole 60 million in 2017 dollars!!
Indians As pirates and royals need to step up their game. Even the rays gave up a 100 mil contract
Is Ryan Braun still the largest Brewers contract? I thought Yelich was the biggest?
I thought the brewers would be yelich? 9 years 215 million?
Before anyone says anything….it said Braun when it was first posted….
you mean you think some clown might say “not in the game?”
Get Vernon Wells off this list 2021 challenge.
They did a good job getting prime Napoli for him but screwed it up by flipping him
move the Pirates to Nashville
Marlin’s have to move first
Mlb prices them out of expanding with their absurd salaries. They also have to settle selling teams to bums like Jeter who couldn’t even make payroll when he bought marlins.
There’s a lot of cities who would want a piece of the pie but just can’t find anyone willing to put up the money yearly to do so
A’s, Indians, Pirates, Royals, White Sox confirmed jokes. Orioles too b/c Chris Davis lol dummies
What’s worse, not signing huge deals or handcuffing your team for a decade because of 1 bad deal?
Ask Jason Heyward
Eh Cubs have a World Series with him though.
Cubs haven’t really come close to having a losing season since he joined the team.
They were a whopping 2 games over .500 last year. I’d say that’s pretty close to a losing season…
@ priggs—well played, my friend—-put something on the internet and someone is likely to believe it
@the stunner—-you are correct—not close to a losing season since he joined the team (last year–the closest—clinched a non-losing season on Sept 15—could have gone 0-13 the rest of the way and still not had a losing season………they tried, believe me, they tried—but still had a winning season with Heyward)
As and Indians are two of the best ran franchises in baseball
They have numerous World Series titles to prove it.
Surprisingly there’s only a couple of busts on that list. I thought there would be more.
I think there are more than you think if you just look at what these players did after signing instead of looking at their full body of work.
A’s, Royals and Pirates are flat out pathetic
So called small market teams with not huge signs, but what about the Reds, Fish and Padres?
Evidently teams with their hands constantly out for a dime can spend if they want to.
The A’s really need to get with the times and give Chapman over 100 mil
A quintessential Mets move. The only blessing is that they didn’t keep Reyes instead.
Embarrassing that the Jay’s have the 24th largest on this list. Rich owners, albeit a publicly owned company. Fourth largest population in North American. Supportive fan base, especially with a successful product. But no, big free agents don’t want to come here according to the media because it’s a different country and things such as customs or taxes. No it’s because for the most part they won’t pay them. Ryu is a perfect example. They paid him, he came. And the different country argument is stupid, as if every baseball player comes from the USA. Rogers propaganda.
Even a weak Canadian dollar should not deter the Blue Jays from spending. Toronto should have been the first to break the Asian market in the 1990s. They followed the Pittsburgh and LAD formula with an explosion of Dominican players in the 1980s. Publicly traded or not, rich owners.
Kind of a pointless post.
Contracts have always been increasing due to inflation and other economic factors.
Might as well title it “Every teams most expensive contract right now” and you’d be pretty much on target with 90% of the teams.
Who cares about inflation? Teams on this list haven’t spent in 15+ years and you want to make a point about inflation? How about the fact that teams haven’t spent money?
Did Kluber not sign a larger contract with Cleveland than Edwin? I though Kluber signed something along the lines of 17.5 AAV x 5 years?
*thought
Kluber’s contract extension in 2015 was only worth $38M over 5 years with a $18M club option in 2021.
Most of these are pretty recent. It’d be nice to see a top five for each team to really gauge how well top contracts have worked out.
it is amazing the atheltics largest contract is 66 million, 11 a year signed in 2004. They really stick to the whole trade away before extension or free agency hard
Uh, I think I have an explanation.
Not in the game?
You maniac!
I wonder what the Cards largest contract was before Goldy’s 5yr/130mil.
matt Holliday. cant remember the details exactly but it was like 7 yrs 118 mil or so
Gerrit Cole makes the same as Mike Trout. Hard to believe.
man I think that was a bad signing by the Yankees, completely crazy, I think they will eventually regret it
Exactly, because even though they still would’ve had to overpay him to get him, as was the case for anyone else that was in on him, I don’t believe they had to give him as much as they did.
What’s obvious from all these contracts is how bad they are and that teams shouldn’t do them anymore…..
I like Altuve but seems like an over pay…..
I would like to see largest finished contracts that each franchise has had. A lot of these contracts are still current and who knows how rhey will turn out.
I wonder what the % is of players who finished the contracts with another club.
I think MLB PA should institute a rule that a player can be traded but the original team must cover half of remaining salary
Trout’s deal worth more than the biggest for the White Sox, Pirates, Indians, Royals, and A’s combined LOL.
Ah such memories. Seeing me arguing 6,7,8,9 years ago. Nostalgia at its finest
The third-largest contract in terms of total value was by the Marlins. Yes, they dealt Stanton before they had to start paying him the big money, but that’s still bizarre.