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The 20 Largest Contracts In MLB History

By Tim Dierkes | February 17, 2021 at 7:30pm CDT

Below is our list of the 20 largest contracts in MLB history.  Please note that if a player was already under contract and signed an extension, only the new money counts.

1. Mookie Betts, Dodgers: 12 years, $365MM.  Extension signed July 2020.  Present-day value due to deferrals: $306,657,882

2. Mike Trout, Angels: 10 years, $360MM.  Extension signed March 2019

3.  Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres: 14 years, $340MM.  Extension signed February 2021

4.  Bryce Harper, Phillies: 13 years, $330MM.  Free agent contract signed March 2019

5. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins: 13 years, $325MM.  Extension signed November 2014

6. Gerrit Cole, Yankees: 9 years, $324MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2019

7.  Manny Machado, Padres: 10 years, $300MM.  Free agent contract signed February 2019

8.  Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: 10 years, $275MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2007

9.  Alex Rodriguez, Rangers: 10 years, $252MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2000

10. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: 8 years, $248MM.  Extension signed March 2014

t-11. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: 7 years, $245MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2019.  Present-day value due to deferrals: $228.9MM

t-11.  Anthony Rendon, Angels: 7 years, $245MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2019

t-13.  Albert Pujols, Angels: 10 years, $240MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2011

t-13.  Robinson Cano, Mariners: 10 years, $240MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2013

15. Nolan Arenado, Rockies: 7 years, $234MM.  Extension signed February 2019

16. Joey Votto, Reds: 10 years, $225MM.  Extension signed April 2012

17.  David Price, Red Sox: 7 years, $217MM.  Free agent contract signed December 2015

18. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: 7 years, $215MM.  Extension signed January 2014

19.  Prince Fielder, Tigers: 9 years, $214MM.  Free agent contract signed January 2012

20.  Max Scherzer, Nationals: 7 years, $210MM.  Free agent contract signed January 2015.  Present-day value due to deferrals: $191,409,858

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Comments

  1. Rangers29

    4 weeks ago

    Prince would’ve finished his contract out just last season if he was still around… that just made me real sad… One of my favorites.

    21 Like
    Reply
    • sam00991

      4 weeks ago

      Definitely

      2 Like
      Reply
    • sam00991

      4 weeks ago

      Definitely, big fan of his

      1 Like
      Reply
      • Mjshof

        4 weeks ago

        How about a fan of his bigness

        2 Like
        Reply
        • Darth Nihilus

          4 weeks ago

          That may have been his main problem. He was TOO big.

          2 Like
          Reply
    • pinstripes17

      4 weeks ago

      Agreed, miss watching him play. Was a shame his that one injury cost him his career he was easily one of the most fun to watch players in baseball.

      2 Like
      Reply
    • tom brunanskys black sock

      4 weeks ago

      Mlb needs more Prince Fielders

      4 Like
      Reply
      • g4

        4 weeks ago

        hear hear!

        Like
        Reply
    • afsooner02

      4 weeks ago

      I was sad when he left Milwaukee…..were small market so we’re used to it, especially when he seligs owned the team, but it was still sad.

      Instead we invested in Ryan Braun….we chose “poorly”. Although I guess neither was worth investing in long term. One was a cheater the other got hurt.

      4 Like
      Reply
      • AaronSapoznik

        3 weeks ago

        Speaking of Milwaukee, shouldn’t Christian Yelich be on this list? He signed a new 9 yrs/$215M (20-28) & 29 mutual option contract (a seven-year extension to his previous deal) with the Brewers last March. mlb.com/news/christian-yelich-contract-extension

        Perhaps there is semantics here in regards to the article qualifier regarding new money that Yelich will earn in this deal, seven years and $188.5 million. However, because the extension required adding a no-trade clause to the final two guaranteed years on his former deal (and nixing a 2022 club option) it technically required a new nine-year contract.

        Btw: The new Yelich contract also put him among the 20 highest-paid players in Major League history by average annual value when it was signed last March.

        1 Like
        Reply
        • Ry.the.Stunner

          3 weeks ago

          Nope. As the first paragraph states, this only counts new money. Yelich was already under contract for 2 more years, so the original money from that extension does not count in this list.

          1 Like
          Reply
    • HalosHeavenJJ

      4 weeks ago

      That’s pretty incredible to think about. He’s been gone a long time.

      His smile and joy of playing are definitely missed.

      1 Like
      Reply
    • angt222

      4 weeks ago

      Same that his body quit on him. Absolute beast when healthy.

      Like
      Reply
      • angt222

        4 weeks ago

        *shame

        Like
        Reply
    • Mjshof

      4 weeks ago

      Yes sad, but if he was still around they’d be delivering him to the batters box with a Hilo.

      1 Like
      Reply
    • ABStract

      4 weeks ago

      Ya made me miss both Prince the Fielder and Prince the artist…

      Like
      Reply
    • goalieguy41

      4 weeks ago

      He still got paid until then

      Like
      Reply
    • krillin89

      4 weeks ago

      Definitely a sad thought

      Like
      Reply
    • Joe Momma

      4 weeks ago

      Watching him announce his retirement was heart breaking. MLB needs more guys like that who have a love affair with the game.

      Like
      Reply
    • BPax

      4 weeks ago

      I once saw his dad Cecil, against the Mariners, hit a gapper and stretch it into a double by executing a perfect hook slide around the tag. Just a reminder of the skill set it takes to be a major leaguer. A guy that size and the perfection of execution was amazing. He hooked around and reached back to grab the bag. SAFE!! And he hit a monster home run in the Kingdome that day too. Too bad Prince’s career was cut short and too bad for the Rangers who had to eat the rest of that contract.

      Like
      Reply
      • smuzqwpdmx

        4 weeks ago

        Prince was a lot faster, he stole 9 times as many bases as Cecil.

        Like
        Reply
      • trout27

        3 weeks ago

        I’m sure the Rangers had insurance on Prince’s contract which would pay off most of the contract.

        Like
        Reply
    • Belurda

      4 weeks ago

      He still got paid even though he hasn’t picked up a bat in 4 years. Highest paid player in 2020. Garbage

      1 Like
      Reply
      • Rangers29

        3 weeks ago

        You mean it’s garbage that baseball contracts are guaranteed and that his career tragically ended 4 years ago even though he was still a great player? k bro.

        1 Like
        Reply
    • AL34

      1 week ago

      His problem was the weight hurt him badly as he got older. He needed to loose some of it to keep himself in better condition. Sad because he was a talent

      Like
      Reply
    • Hippyripper

      7 days ago

      Prince Fielder was an amazing ball player always smiling

      Its crazy to think Jose Canseco was the highest payed player ever when he signed at 5/23.5 million

      Like
      Reply
  2. VonPurpleHayes

    4 weeks ago

    A-Rod (Rangers) and Scherzer really worked out.

    7 Like
    Reply
    • jocpedersonsmom

      4 weeks ago

      Unless I’m missing a joke here (you are including Scherzer here), ARod did not work out for the Rangers. He was traded to the Yanks for Soriano because they couldn’t afford him He worked out well for the Yanks until he opted out and re-signed.

      1 Like
      Reply
      • YourDreamGM

        4 weeks ago

        I am sure he is talking solely about the contract.

        5 Like
        Reply
        • jocpedersonsmom

          4 weeks ago

          Yeah, ARod was “good” for the Rangers and they did save some money when he opted out.

          Like
          Reply
      • VonPurpleHayes

        4 weeks ago

        A-Rod put up quality numbers consistently for the Rangers. They got what they paid for. The fact that they ended up bailing on the later years was on them IMO.

        6 Like
        Reply
        • racosun

          1 week ago

          Wasn’t he the guy who was tipping pitches for his opponents as long as they returned the favor?

          Like
          Reply
      • Oxford Karma

        4 weeks ago

        He played in Texas 3 years. 1 mvp. Came in 2nd once and 6th once. 3 all stars. 25 war in three years is crazy good. It’s not his fault Texas changed plans. Still a good return for the contract.

        7 Like
        Reply
        • Darth Nihilus

          4 weeks ago

          He was very good up till he reupped with his second contract. His numbers were off the charts.

          One thing I admired about him when he came over to the Yankees (before the latter drama in his career) was his willingness to move to 3rd despite the fact he was a better shortstop.

          5 Like
          Reply
      • Ketch

        7 days ago

        ARod won an AL MVP award for the Rangers. He was expensive, but he did play very well for them,

        1 Like
        Reply
  3. Fred

    4 weeks ago

    World Series won:
    1. Mookie
    7. A-Rod
    16. Price
    19. Scherzer
    *Kershaw re-worked his deal, I think

    Like
    Reply
    • Tom

      4 weeks ago

      If you’re looking to show “value” by showcasing World Series titles, I think a more important (for the teams handing out the contracts) area to look in would be how much revenue did they generate. For the most part, baseball teams/ownerships care about one thing…the bottom line. Winning is secondary.

      6 Like
      Reply
      • Pads Fans

        4 weeks ago

        Winning generates revenue. A WS win has been worth an average of $100 million over the past decade. One player doesn’t ensure a WS appearance in the playoffs.

        2 Like
        Reply
        • Tom

          4 weeks ago

          Signing a marquee player also generates revenue. It creates buzz around a team, ticket sales, merchandize sales, etc. History has shown that when teams sign a big free agent that there is almost an immediate uptick in sales. Of course winning a title generates revenues, but there’s only one team that can win a title in a given year, while there are millions and millions of tickets, concessions, merchandize, etc., that is sold to people who want to come out to see a player, and usually a star player.

          2 Like
          Reply
        • Unknown69420

          3 weeks ago

          agreed I think that was the main reason Phillies signed Harper and Miami extended Stanton

          1 Like
          Reply
      • miggy4prez

        1 week ago

        Shut up Tom

        Like
        Reply
        • Hippyripper

          7 days ago

          Why should TOM shut up, cause he proved a good point by using facts to back up his argument and you didn’t like it?

          1 Like
          Reply
        • fox471

          7 days ago

          Yeah, why should Tom shut up? Be civil.

          Like
          Reply
  4. jkoch717

    4 weeks ago

    Looking at this list of 20, only 7 contracts have been or will be completed with the same signing team. 6 are early in their contracts, which means 7 have been traded. Wow.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • Lurking

      3 weeks ago

      no such thing as an untradeable contract

      1 Like
      Reply
    • Ketch

      1 week ago

      Six were traded on that deal. Stanton, ARod, Arenado, Fielder, Cano and Price. Did I forget someone?

      Like
      Reply
  5. Nuggetmaster919

    4 weeks ago

    Trout and Betts should be flipped I thought it was 12/426 for trout?

    Like
    Reply
    • ateam043

      4 weeks ago

      This only counts new money since Trout was already under contract.

      1 Like
      Reply
    • Rsox

      4 weeks ago

      Trout had two years and $66 million remaining on his previous deal. They extended that with 10 years and $360 million totalling 12 years and $426 million

      2 Like
      Reply
  6. HalosHeavenJJ

    4 weeks ago

    Miggy. The only contract to make Pujols look OK.

    I never understood the rush to extend him years before free agency.

    5 Like
    Reply
    • Tom

      4 weeks ago

      Nah. Both Miggy and Pujols deals look good compared to Chris Davis’. It’s just not as much cash, but it’s the worst contract in the history of professional sports.

      11 Like
      Reply
      • skedeebs

        4 weeks ago

        I think I would have trouble finding evidence to build a case against that. As a Nats fan, though, I am happy to wish a (baseball) plague on the Angelos family for their spite against DC. I would love to root again for the Orioles as my favorite AL team someday.

        1 Like
        Reply
        • leftyleftylefty

          4 weeks ago

          Wasn’t Angelos ire mostly for MLB and Selig?

          Like
          Reply
        • Flyby

          4 weeks ago

          You can spite the Angelos family all you want. They are the only ones living up to the original agreement. They knew another team in the market could severely drain their fan base and guess what it did.

          For allowing the nationals to move into their market, they wanted to keep the financials on their side at the beginning with the split that was agreed upon by MLB and the Lerners and the Angelos family and Selig. The split would eventually would even out down the road but that timeline and original calculation did not meet the Lerners new timeline. Was it an unfair split probably (and thats why the panel ruled against the orioles) but it is what the Orioles felt was right to lose more than half their market originally. Also the Orioles did say they would budge on it some but it was not enough for the nationals.

          You can say supreme court ruled against them but in reality they ruled to send it back to the mlb and the panel that already ruled in favor of the nationals because in the end if the most popular team gets more money they will probably make the league overall more money not necessarily what is right and legal. So your feeling are more in favor of the league and the nationals doing the orioles dirty and not living up to their side of the original bargain.

          6 Like
          Reply
      • Dexxter

        4 weeks ago

        And the crazy thing is that it was so obviously a terrible deal the day it was signed.

        Did anyone other than the Orioles front office ever think this deal was going to work out?

        Like
        Reply
        • lowereastsider

          4 weeks ago

          The signings of Davis (BAL) and Hosmer (SD) to me were the most obvious ones as soon as the ink dried. Miggy and Pujols was OK but their declines happened quicker than most expected. They still put up a few good seasons.

          3 Like
          Reply
        • jocpedersonsmom

          4 weeks ago

          I think the Davis contract was Peter Angelos meddling.

          1 Like
          Reply
      • Dorothy_Mantooth

        4 weeks ago

        Although smaller in total contract value, the Pablo Sandoval and Carl Crawford deals in Boston were complete disasters, as was Rusney Castillo and to a lesser extent, Hanley Ramirez. If not for the 2018 WS, the David Price contract was no prize and Chris Sale’s extension is not looking too great up to this point either. And then there was the Dice-K misfire too. Just goes to show you how big market teams have such an advantage over smaller market teams. All these bad contracts total over $800M and Boston has still won 4 championships during this time in spite of all these mistakes.

        4 Like
        Reply
        • Dave P

          4 weeks ago

          Why not include Edgar Renteria in 2005…he lasted 1 year out of a 4 year contract? Followed by Julio Lugo who I think lasted 2 years out of a 4 year contract? The list goes on and on…only now salaries have escalated!!

          1 Like
          Reply
      • M.C.Homer

        1 week ago

        Josh Hamilton

        Like
        Reply
    • YourDreamGM

      4 weeks ago

      Maybe one day mlb scientist will discovery a theory or formula that shows giving 30 somethings hundreds of millions is not a smart thing to do.

      5 Like
      Reply
      • Tom

        4 weeks ago

        Yeah, but then the same fans who comment and talk about how horrible those contracts are will spend their time complaining how older players aren’t getting those contracts.

        Like
        Reply
        • Brewers!

          3 weeks ago

          @Tom Lol, I definitely do that. I cringed when the Brewers gave Yelich his extension (so risky!), but I always talked about how he was getting screwed on the team friendly deal he had before it (so unfair!). As I think you are saying, you can’t have it both ways.

          Like
          Reply
    • miggy4prez

      1 week ago

      Might’ve had something to do with the triple crown

      Like
      Reply
    • trout27

      1 week ago

      Have you ever heard of Chris Davis, the man who was the recipient of one of the worst contracts in sports history? He has drastically underperformed through out his contract and has ham strung the Orioles for years with more to come.

      Like
      Reply
  7. Oddvark

    4 weeks ago

    Crazy that 3 of the top 13 were signed by the Angels for players who are still active on their team in 2021. With no post season success to show for it.

    2 Like
    Reply
    • jocpedersonsmom

      4 weeks ago

      You think Arte would have learned his lesson by now. He also took a bath on Josh Hamilton.

      Like
      Reply
      • SodoMojo90

        4 weeks ago

        People with the egos like Arte take their egos to them with the grave. They never learn. Way too full of himself to ever say he was wrong or even imply it

        Like
        Reply
    • Oxford Karma

      4 weeks ago

      The angels never seem to understand the need for an ace. They have been treading water with 3 & 4 types forever.

      3 Like
      Reply
      • lowereastsider

        4 weeks ago

        Is Jered Weaver the last pitcher they gave a big contract to?

        1 Like
        Reply
        • SodoMojo90

          4 weeks ago

          Seems like it. But Jered had a massive ego too. Makes sense that Arte liked him

          Like
          Reply
        • Lurking

          3 weeks ago

          Cj Wilson+Nolasco are latest pitchers to make even more than 15M a year

          Lad has fairly consistently had 2-3 guys making that much in their rotation since 2013. Not hard to see why the teams have gone different directions

          Like
          Reply
  8. Rsox

    4 weeks ago

    Its crazy that ARoid is on this list twice. What’s the saying; “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me”

    1 Like
    Reply
    • VonPurpleHayes

      4 weeks ago

      Actually, he performed really well consistently for the Rangers. I know people tend to judge these things on WS success, but the Rangers got what they paid for with A-Rod. It’s one of the big contracts that really worked. Same with Scherzer.

      8 Like
      Reply
      • Flyby

        4 weeks ago

        I think Greinke has been worth his as well.

        8 Like
        Reply
        • VonPurpleHayes

          4 weeks ago

          Yea. That’s fair.

          Like
          Reply
        • Ketch

          1 week ago

          Is Greinke on this list somewhere?

          Like
          Reply
      • cecildawg

        4 weeks ago

        vonpurplehayes – a-rod admitted to using enhancements during his Texas time.
        So sure a good drug performance. He said he was nervous about the contract
        and used drugs. Total hockey puck punk.

        Like
        Reply
        • VonPurpleHayes

          4 weeks ago

          Well yeah. I don’t respect A-Rod for cheating, and I’m not arguing his stats are legitimate. I’m just saying, Texas gave him a huge contract hoping for A-Rod’s big numbers, and A-Rod delivered and then some. Texas then bailed on the hefty contract, but A-Rod continued to deliver until his 2nd contract with the Yanks. So from the mega-contract standpoint, I think it was a success.

          3 Like
          Reply
      • Dave P

        3 weeks ago

        But didn’t ARoid admit that he was using while he was with Texas? Many contracts would have worked out better if the players were still allowed to cheat?

        Like
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        • miggy4prez

          1 week ago

          Lol

          Like
          Reply
    • miggy4prez

      1 week ago

      A-rod was amazing, worth every cent

      1 Like
      Reply
    • slider32

      1 week ago

      Cruz was in that group, and you never here him getting trashed!

      Like
      Reply
  9. skedeebs

    4 weeks ago

    Max’s time in DC has been an utter joy for us Nats fans. I know that anything he provides in his last year of the contract is gravy, but I would love to see him dominate again. If he does, though, should the Nats re-sign him for the number of years he would want, knowing they would be paying with house money for what he has done for the team?

    1 Like
    Reply
    • Tom

      4 weeks ago

      Scherzer has been an absolutely incredible pitcher for the Nats, however they’ve got a long way to go before they pay off that deal. 8 years left before they finish paying it off. (It was $210M/7rs, but they structured it to pay $15M/yr for 14 years.) It made signing the contract in 2015 easier, but in 2022 when they have to pay his annual $15M salary, along with however many other deferrals—I believe Strasburg will be getting double checks during his newest contract—they have on the books, the Nats are going to be strapped for cash.

      3 Like
      Reply
      • skedeebs

        4 weeks ago

        It is true, but the Lerners are super wealthy and also played out what it would be worth to them to extend it over many years. I don’t see it keeping them from flirting with or at times going over the CBT in the future, especially if they keep Rizzo as GM.

        1 Like
        Reply
    • Simodine

      4 weeks ago

      If I remember right he has a lot of deferred money. While he has lived up to his contract even if you don’t resign him you’ll still be paying him for like 7 more years.

      2 Like
      Reply
      • YourDreamGM

        4 weeks ago

        Paying him in weaker money. Makes the contract even better. Would much rather have money to invest in the present and delay paying employees as far off as possible.

        2 Like
        Reply
        • A'sfaninLondonUK

          4 weeks ago

          Deferred payments are inflation proofed – and usually this “proofing” in terms of an interest rate favours the player not the team – so it’s not weaker money. See Bonilla, Saberhagen et al. It’s a false & foolish economy….

          3 Like
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        • YourDreamGM

          4 weeks ago

          The owners aren’t worried about that. They want money right now. Their returns on investment will destroy the interest rates the players receive. I am sure they don’t mind spreading out the payroll as well.

          1 Like
          Reply
        • SodoMojo90

          4 weeks ago

          Pretty sure the billionaire owners arent too worried about any deferred payments

          Like
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        • A'sfaninLondonUK

          4 weeks ago

          @sodomojo90

          Then why do it? Why set up a contract like this?

          Neither argument above makes any sense – financial or otherwise – whatsoever?

          Like
          Reply
        • Tom

          4 weeks ago

          Then why defer the payments in the first place? The Nats likely do it because their revenue stream does not cover the amount they want to pay players to compete. My assumption is they were doing this until they work out their deal with MASN (which seemingly is taking longer than they anticipated).

          However, while the Learners’ are extremely wealthy, they like any other MLB owner, is not going into their own pockets to finance the club’s operations. Despite being easily able to afford the deferrals, when they come due and you’re paying twice for several players, and for players till on their roster (Rafael Soriano is still earning money every year), and a significant portion of their current payroll is slated for players no longer on your team it’s going to impact the team at some point.

          Like
          Reply
      • Gumbo

        3 weeks ago

        So, ends up being cheaper.

        Like
        Reply
  10. Tatsumaki

    4 weeks ago

    Crazy Yankees 3 of the worst contracts in history on tap, 2 of which are still in effect now. Judge potentially a 3rd?

    Like
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    • Dotnet22

      4 weeks ago

      Not sure worst is the best wording. They could afford to give out these player friendly contracts.

      3 Like
      Reply
    • YourDreamGM

      4 weeks ago

      I can see them paying judge. I was a life long Yankee fan until they signed Ellsberry. My businessman core just couldn’t handle it anymore.

      Like
      Reply
      • SodoMojo90

        4 weeks ago

        So you let your real life come in to play when trying to decide to root for your team or not? And if you’re no longer a fan because of your “businessman core” then why are you on MLB trade rumors commenting on the Yankees?Sorry but I’m just trying to make sense of your comment. Seems completely ass backwards to me. Maybe you’re a fan of a different team now, I don’t know. I’m a Mariners fan and we haven’t made the playoffs for 20 years but I would never ever even consider changing my fandom

        2 Like
        Reply
        • YourDreamGM

          4 weeks ago

          Tampa Rays, Cleveland Cheapskates, and now Pittsburgh Pirates. It was easy to switch teams. My team kept making terrible decisions that I hated so I found teams with a similar philosophy as mine. I am just on here to get my trade news in a single place and I have 3 friends on here as well. We will grade trades and such and look back and see who was right. I seen my team win 7 world series so I am good. Really just enjoy watching any baseball. Can care less if “my teams” win a championship or not. I like how they operate and think they all can win in the next dozen years. I love what Seattle has done with trading away all their talent. Especially with mets padres. Hopefully they don’t blow it by signing bad free agent contracts.

          Like
          Reply
    • Oxford Karma

      4 weeks ago

      Why not let Cole’s contract develop before you deem it a bad contract? He’s had a third of a season and three pretty solid playoff starts.

      4 Like
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    • whyhayzee

      4 weeks ago

      I heard Aaron’s unmarried sister can’t catch a fly ball.

      Like
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    • lowereastsider

      4 weeks ago

      If Judge stays healthy and produces as his usual self, he’ll probably be looking at a Springer-like contract at best. Therefore, I don’t think it would make this list.

      1 Like
      Reply
    • Baseballallday

      6 days ago

      Hard to say cole is one of the worst contracts after 1/9 years played. He pitched overall pretty well last year and they have 8 more years to win a ring with him. Seems like you are prematurely calling that a bad contract especially for a team with the means to pay it. Stanton to me isn’t worth his contract but I also wouldn’t call it one of the worst contracts ever. He’s obviously too often injured and strikes out a lot but he also brings a ton of power to the lineup and if he plays like he did last postseason during a WS run that contract all the sudden doesn’t look too bad. I’d still say he’s overpriced but I think calling it the one of the worst contracts is a bit dramatic.

      Like
      Reply
  11. YourDreamGM

    4 weeks ago

    9 through 16 scream what were they thinking. Last 3 pitchers all turned out to be fantastic. They were safe bets with track record and excellent mechanics, but still wow they really panned out. Arod had an amazing agent. Took a long time for others to get that money.

    1 Like
    Reply
  12. whyhayzee

    4 weeks ago

    It will be interesting to see how many wind up in the Hall of Fame. Some choices are clear (yes vs. no) while some need the test of time to sort out.

    Like
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    • skedeebs

      4 weeks ago

      I think that Scherzer is clear, although another good year or two would help the counting stats in wins and strikeouts. This is why I really hope the Nats re-sign him after this year, even if it isn’t as spectacularly successful. I want to see him inducted with a Curly W on his cap. Another contract to the end of his career would cement that, for sure.

      1 Like
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    • Simodine

      4 weeks ago

      Most of them are or will be. Arod and cano severely hurt their chances with positive tests. Fielder is the only definite no.

      Like
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      • whyhayzee

        4 weeks ago

        Only one pitcher has 200 wins. Pujols and Miggy are in and Trout will almost certainly be in. There are definitely players who won’t be in and not just the cheaters. And a bunch of maybes.

        This is not the 60’s where everyone knew who the superstars were and who was a Hall of Famer. Free agency has turned salaries into the lottery. It’s all about timing and desperate deep pocket teams. A big contract does not translate to a timeless player.

        Like
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        • gbs42

          4 weeks ago

          Mike Trout locked down a HOF spot on Opening Day last year when he played in his tenth season, a HOF requirement.

          4 Like
          Reply
        • leftyleftylefty

          4 weeks ago

          “Trout will almost certainly be in”?
          Ummm—what?
          If he never played another inning he is a unanimous first ballot.

          6 Like
          Reply
      • infractor

        4 weeks ago

        Betts needs a few years at least – he’s been one of the best in the game certainly but it’s been too short a career yet. Of all the Hall of Fames in sport, MLB probably has the most onus on a long career.

        Like
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        • whyhayzee

          4 weeks ago

          Mike Trout will almost certainly be in because there are no guarantees. Certain hall of famers have managed their way out of the hall of fame by various means. Not saying Trout is going to do that but you never know until it’s over. So yes, almost certainly in.

          Like
          Reply
        • Rsk3228

          3 weeks ago

          Couldn’t that logic also apply to Albert and Miggy?

          1 Like
          Reply
  13. Simodine

    4 weeks ago

    Worse 5 on here id say are…random order.

    Stanton
    Pujos
    Cabrera
    Price
    Fielder

    Like
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    • lowereastsider

      4 weeks ago

      Stanton is 30 and isn’t even close to being cooked. If you want to rag on the Yankees, the Ellsbury contract is currently the worst. Fielder’s teams got payouts from insurance companies so I don’t think it even qualifies for being a bad contract.

      1 Like
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      • VonPurpleHayes

        4 weeks ago

        I think it’s fair to insult the Stanton contract. Injuries make it a bust. Not necessarily the Yankees fault, but it is what it is.

        1 Like
        Reply
  14. JOHNSmith2778

    4 weeks ago

    Why is the present value listed only if there is deferred money? Why not take everything back to the present value? I get PV is calculated for luxury tax but if we are looking at the value of money Cole’s 324/9 is more present value at signing than Stantons 325/13.

    Like
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    • whyhayzee

      4 weeks ago

      The deferred money is a little like a pension while the paid on time part is like a salary. That’s my simple explanation.

      Like
      Reply
    • Tim Dierkes

      4 weeks ago

      I can see your point. But I’m kind of just trying to say, what was this worth at the time of the signing.

      3 Like
      Reply
      • gbs42

        4 weeks ago

        The PV of A-Rod’s first contract is something like $500M.

        The owners have been winning the battle over money pretty much every since.

        Like
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    • Dorothy_Mantooth

      4 weeks ago

      PV does not impact the luxury tax. They still account for the total contract value over the life of the contract. The deferred money only helps the bank accounts of the owners but not the CBT.

      Like
      Reply
      • JOHNSmith2778

        4 weeks ago

        Deferring money in a contract does impact the luxury tax, this is why guys like degrom and scherzer have a lower luxury tax number than their “salary”.

        Like
        Reply
  15. dixoncayne

    4 weeks ago

    How many teams are sorry after 6 years?

    Like
    Reply
    • YourDreamGM

      4 weeks ago

      I felt bad for a lot of teams the minute it was announced. Poor clueless bastards.

      Like
      Reply
      • SodoMojo90

        4 weeks ago

        I feel like most of them are win now moves, which almost never work out. Had they won a title in the first few years with one of those players then it might be worth it.

        1 Like
        Reply
  16. sufferfortribe

    4 weeks ago

    Insanity

    Like
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  17. Xalz

    4 weeks ago

    Strange and crazy deals abound in MLB.

    Mike Hampton was the biggest free agent deal in 2001 for $121MM and it was deferred to end of year 2018. Rockies made one of worst deals ever.

    Bobby Bonilla is infamous for his deal that the Mets pay til 2035, however Bret Saberhagen is longer still. Saberhagen will be paid until he’s 64 years old and 35 years past hanging up his cleats. 2029 has checks with his name on them.

    And the Braves set up Bruce to take the crazy contract cake all for himself. In 1993 he signed for $9.1MM deferred until 2022! This is the last year of paying him $1.12MM annually. This year he turns 69 and is due the $1.12MM and the original principle $9.1MM at the end of year!

    1 Like
    Reply
    • YourDreamGM

      4 weeks ago

      Bonilla isn’t bad. Mets owners thought they were getting incredibly rich so wanted as much present money to invest that they could get. At the time it made sense to them.

      Like
      Reply
  18. julyn82001

    4 weeks ago

    All those wonderful “huge dollar” contracts!

    Like
    Reply
  19. Vizionaire

    4 weeks ago

    angels have 3 and almost got 4th. but they go cheap on the pen.

    1 Like
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  20. paddyo875

    4 weeks ago

    I’m sure in the age of such data analysis that front offices are well aware of the dangers of overpaying for a 1st basemen. But this list accentuates that. Arguably, the 3 worst contracts on this list are 1st basemen.

    Like
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  21. richt

    4 weeks ago

    That Stanton deal sure looks bad

    Like
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  22. vtadave

    4 weeks ago

    He could easily sign an extension, but I wonder how much a 25-year-old Juan Soto gets in free agency assuming he continues being awesome?

    13/500?

    Like
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    • Dorothy_Mantooth

      4 weeks ago

      If Soto keeps playing the way he is now, he’s going to shatter the Betts contract, whether it be an extension or a free agent deal. He may very well get paid $500M in total contract compensation as you surmise. If he stays in Washington, he’ll be paid through 2050!

      1 Like
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    • Joe Momma

      4 weeks ago

      Crazy to think about. Soto is what everyone thought Harper would be. And instead of the massive expectations put on Harper Soto grew quietly and organically into a homegrown superstar.

      Like
      Reply
  23. krillin89

    4 weeks ago

    If i you account for inflation, that 2000 deal with Arod is about 378 mil in today’s money. Crazy

    Like
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  24. Cedric Lee

    4 weeks ago

    wow, only a-rod’s contracts are in 2000’s. everyone else is 2010’s. dude was ahead of his time.

    Like
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  25. wrek305

    4 weeks ago

    Shame about A-Rod, like Bonds he was a sure HOFer but they cheated. Ironically they started using steroids and PEDs when they left their orignal team.

    Like
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    • VanLingleMungo89

      4 weeks ago

      No pity for either from me. And nobody knows when Bonds actually started using them. Steroids have been around for decades. I liken their situation to Charles Van Doren. He had the tools to do it himself, but preferred to cheat, got caught and was publicly humiliated.

      Like
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  26. Joe Momma

    4 weeks ago

    San Diego pleaseeeeeeeeee pick up the phone and call Cashman about Stanton. Please please please pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

    But don’t call Stanton yourselves. He will be on the 60 day IL from the impact of clicking accept on his iPhone.

    1 Like
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  27. Fg-3

    4 weeks ago

    The craziest thing is that Arod’s deal in 2000 is still in the top 10. 21 years ago. All these players should kiss his ass cause there is no contract for them like that without his!! Mic Drop

    Like
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  28. Oneball

    4 weeks ago

    List of WS winners missed two players from list. Strasberg and Rendon both are on list tied at 10th and both won WS.

    Like
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    • jocpedersonsmom

      4 weeks ago

      They signed their contracts afterwards.

      Like
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  29. Pads Fans

    4 weeks ago

    Of those 19 players and 20 contracts, 8 of the contracts are too new to judge, Betts, Trout, Harper, Cole, Machado, Strasburg, Rendon, Arenado.

    Of the 11 remaining players and 12 contracts, the ones that have paid for themselves or more are:
    Arod – both
    Greinke
    Scherzer
    Kershaw
    Votto
    Cano – So far.

    7 good deals

    The ones that have bombed:
    Pujols
    Fielder
    Cabrera
    Price
    Stanton (still 7 years left and he would have to average 6+ WAR to make it break even)

    5 bad deals.

    Guess that is why teams keep making these big deals.

    Like
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    • thelegendaryharambe

      4 weeks ago

      “Giancarlo Stanton’s opt out clause benefits the Yankees” XD XD XD

      Like
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    • bravesfan

      4 weeks ago

      Idk if I would say MC is a complete bomb. He had some years in that mix that he was the best hitter in baseball and even recently had some really nice years. I get why he prob didn’t meet target value, but he’s performed at a high lvl in general. I can’t remember when his original contract came out but if I recall, he was horribly underpaid for a triple crown winner and almost won it one or more other times

      Like
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      • jimthegoat

        3 weeks ago

        MC’s most recent extension was a complete bomb. If they had just let him walk after 2015 it would have been all surplus value.

        Like
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    • jocpedersonsmom

      3 weeks ago

      The Yankees are responsible for about $250 million over the ten years that Stanton is signed with them. He’s put up 5 WAR for them in the first three years and probably needs at least 30 WAR total to make it “break even’. That’s about 3.5-4 WAR per season for the next seven, though I think the Yanks would do a happy dance if, and it’s a big if, he can average about 3 WAR per season for the remainder of the contract

      Like
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  30. bravesfan

    4 weeks ago

    Sometimes I daydream of what I would do with that sort of money. It’s hard to wrap your head around just how much that is. I make solid money for a living and in general feel great about it. These guys make most of us look not only poor, but in serious poverty lol!

    Like
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  31. Boon37

    3 weeks ago

    The greatest 20 million a year contract ever was Manny Ramirez..worth every dime… Other than that there are not too many

    Like
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  32. Boon37

    3 weeks ago

    The greatest 20 million a year contract ever was Manny Ramirez..worth every dime… Other than that there are not too many.

    Like
    Reply
  33. 609Collectibles

    3 weeks ago

    Was a big fan of Cecil, the 51 homerun season in 1990 was awesome because noone had hit 50 since George Foster in the 70’s, if I’m not mistaken. Pulled his “Elite Series” card from a 1991 Donruss wax pack when I was a kid, for you collectors out there. Great pull. Anyway, Cecil became the manager for the Indy (now folded) Atlantic City Surf baseball club in 2002, where I worked in the front office and was the music guy. He replaced Mitch Williams. Cecil loved those AC casinos, let me tell ya! Solid guy, literally and figuratively speaking.

    Like
    Reply
  34. Cohn Joppolella

    3 weeks ago

    Tebow will be on this list in a couple of years.

    Like
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  35. 1984wasntamanual

    3 weeks ago

    Lots of cautionary tales here.

    Like
    Reply
    • Marty McRae

      1 week ago

      Pujols and Fielder are the only two.

      1 Like
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      • Ketch

        1 week ago

        Cabrera and Cano as well.

        1 Like
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        • 1984wasntamanual

          7 days ago

          They had to add 50m to Arenado to deal him for a modest return and I’d also consider David Price to be a cautionary tale.

          Then there are Harper and Votto who have/likely will justify their contracts at an individual level, but it hasn’t really helped the team win (yet) and we’ve heard reports of both of those teams having to cut spending. Granted, that might have been more PR than factual for the Phillies. So less cautionary on the player level and more on the team using such a large portion of their budget on 1 player, long term.

          So I’m gonna have to disagree with you on it only being Pujols and Fielder.

          Like
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  36. mlbnyyfan

    3 weeks ago

    If Trout gets 36 Million a year and Mookie about 30. Will Baseball have anyone get 40 a year. Will Tatis Jr eventually get more than Trout? What player today could get 40 a year?

    Like
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    • Lurking

      3 weeks ago

      Given that 25M was a massive amount, 10 years a ago(?), it’s a matter of time till someone gets a few million more.

      And no, that doesn’t mean whoever they are is the better player than Trout. It means they hit a free agent market, and trout got an extension without the rest of the market bidding

      Like
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    • Marty McRae

      1 week ago

      Theres dozens of players who should be getting $100M a year by now, but MLB suppresses player salaries by not marketing them or giving them celebrity status that they used to have and now dont anymore. Non baseball fans couldn’t pick Trout of a lineup, but almost every American at least knew all the stars names and faces up until the 2000s or so.

      Like
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      • YourDreamGM

        7 days ago

        That’s because they all had giant heads from the roids. They were easy to spot.

        Like
        Reply
  37. Lurking

    3 weeks ago

    Meanwhile, Messi made 600M in the LAST FOUR YEARS playing soccer

    2 Like
    Reply
  38. Elvisismyhomeboy

    1 week ago

    Is Tatis the longest extension in sports history?

    1 Like
    Reply
  39. Marty McRae

    1 week ago

    So there’s like 2 players there who declined a lot or got hurt, team “oooh long contractz are baaad” just punching the air right now

    1 Like
    Reply
  40. Joe It All

    1 week ago

    The A-Rod contract is the most amazing one to me because nobody got paid that kind of money when he signed that deal. That was a full 10+ years before anybody else in the Top 20 signed a deal like that and he even inked another contract like that before everybody else started getting paid

    Like
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  41. slider32

    1 week ago

    Funny how Bauer gets three one year deals for big money and Tatis gets a 14 year deal. Both are unprecedented.!

    Like
    Reply
  42. Marty McRae

    1 week ago

    My favorite recent contract was when in 2013 the A’s suddenly had money to give Hiroyuki Nakajima a 2/$6.5M deal….that amounted to 175 AAA games and not one MLB callup over the two years.

    Like
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    • Ketch

      1 week ago

      Rusney Castillo laughs at that.

      1 Like
      Reply
  43. Ketch

    1 week ago

    The amazing thing to me is six of those monster deals (Stanton, Rodriguez, Cano, Arenado, Price, and Fielder) were actually traded.

    Like
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    • lordd99

      7 days ago

      That’s why it’s silly for anyone to claim Tatis is a Padre for life. Odds are he will be traded.

      Like
      Reply
      • Ketch

        7 days ago

        Well, maybe not. Still only 30% of these deals were moved. But of the 6 that were traded, two of them (ARod and Stanton) were the largest contracts in MLB at the tie of the deal.

        Like
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  44. Ketch

    1 week ago

    Next up – Francisco Lindor. Followed by Ronald Acuna and Juan Soto in the near future.

    Like
    Reply
    • bluejays4life

      1 week ago

      Not Acuna. He is signed until 2027 at min and 2029 via club options.

      Like
      Reply
  45. Pads Fans

    7 days ago

    Who would have ever thought that the Padres would have signed players to 2 of the top 10 contracts in history.

    Like
    Reply
    • thelegendaryharambe

      7 days ago

      Pretty crazy isn’t it Koamalu?

      Like
      Reply
    • Ketch

      7 days ago

      And gave both of them to shortstops..

      Like
      Reply
  46. lordd99

    7 days ago

    I love that a half a century on (ok, slight exaggeration), A-Rod’s Rangers contract and then his Yankees contract still are top ten. The dude raked in the money.

    Like
    Reply
    • ericmvan

      7 days ago

      A-Rod’s Ranger’s contract is still the biggest, adjusting for inflation. See my comment.

      Like
      Reply
  47. ericmvan

    7 days ago

    The list without adjustments for inflation is misleading. Here’s the adjusted Top 20.

    1. Rodiguez, Rangers, 378.8
    2. Trout, 370.5
    3. Stanton, 360.
    4. Rodriguez, Yankees, 342.5
    5. Tatis, 340.
    6. Harper, 339.6
    7. Cole, 329.8
    8. Macahdo, 310.5
    9. Betts, 309.6 (368.5 w/o deferalls)
    ** 10. Derek Jerer, 2001, 281.2 **
    11. Pujols, 278.2
    12. Cabrera, 274.5
    13. Cano, 268.4
    14. Votto, 255.8
    15. Rendon, 249.4
    16. Fielder, 247
    17. Arenado, 242.1
    ** 18. Manny Ramirez, Red Sox, December 2000, 240.5 **
    19. Kershaw, 240.4
    20. Price, 240.
    (21. Strasburg, 233 (249.4 w/o deferalls)

    Like
    Reply
    • ericmvan

      7 days ago

      Looking at this historically, A-Rod and Manny signed the two biggest contracts in MLB history on the same day, 12/12/2000. Jeter bumped Manny down to 3rd the following February, and (ignoring A-Rod’s second contract) Pujols bumped him down to 4th among players in 2011. It took a full 11 years before he was bumped out of the top 5 contracts by Fielder, Votto, Cano and Cabrera.

      Meanwhile, Jeter’s contract was still the biggest after A-Rod’s two deals as recently as Stanton’s in November 2014, and he didn’t get bumped down out of third place among players until *two years ago* when Machado, Harper, and Trout all passed him. That was 18 years in the top 5.

      The Yankees won one WS with Jeter; Manny won two with Boston after declaring he was “just tired of seeing New York always win” at his press conference.

      Like
      Reply
  48. lettersandnumbersonly

    7 days ago

    4 of the 20 are or were Nationals. Way to go Mike Rizzo. Nice drafting. Soto on deck…

    Like
    Reply
  49. WereAllJustGuestsHere

    7 days ago

    Unpopular opinion but wondering if the Dodgers wish they held off extending Betts. Not saying it was a mistake. I wonder if Betts receives the money and years he got from LA. Five years from now we might be looking at this extension much different from our viewpoint today.

    1 Like
    Reply
  50. Potch 2

    7 days ago

    What is interesting is that the Yankees and Dodgers who always have large payrolls doled out 2 each of those 20 contracts (even if they ended up trading for a couple as well), While the Tigers, Nationals and Padres ALSO had two each, and the Angels lead all teams with three of them,.

    Yet since the first one signed in 2007, the Yankees, Nationals and Dodgers have one championship each, while the Red Sox have two with only one guy on the list and the Giants have three championships with no one on the list.

    I think it just goes to show two things: Spending money does not always guarantee wins, and acquiring the top free agents doesn’t as well. It will be interesting to see if having two $300+ million dollars deals leads to any ships for the Friars in the years to come,.

    2 Like
    Reply
  51. neurogame

    6 days ago

    Is that right? Only 6 of the players on this lost have won a championship AFTER signing the contract? And of these six, how many won the championship with the original team they signed with? Did all six achieve this?

    Like
    Reply

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