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. The amounts denote the amount of new money guaranteed to the player, which is why they might differ from what you’ve seen in public reports.
- Angels: Mike Trout – 10 years, $360MM. Signed 3-21-19.
- Astros: Jose Altuve – 6 years, $157.5MM. Signed 3-20-18.
- Athletics: Tyler Soderstrom – seven years, $86MM. Signed 12-25-25.
- Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 14 years, $500MM. Signed 4-6-25.
- Braves: Austin Riley – 10 years, $212MM. Signed 8-1-22.
- 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: Corbin Burnes – 6 years, $210MM. Signed 12-28-24.
- Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani – 10 years, $700MM. Signed 12-9-23.
- Giants: Willy Adames – 7 years, $182MM. Signed 12-7-24.
- Guardians: Jose Ramirez – 7 years, $129MM. Signed 4-6-22.
- Mariners: Robinson Cano – 10 years, $240MM. Signed 12-12-13.
- Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton – 13 years, $325MM. Signed 11-18-14.
- Mets: Juan Soto – 15 years, $765MM. Signed 12-8-24.
- Nationals: Stephen Strasburg – 7 years, $245MM. Signed 12-9-19.
- Orioles: Chris Davis – 7 years, $161MM. Signed 1-21-16.
- Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. – 14 years, $340MM. Signed 2-22-21.
- Phillies: Bryce Harper – 13 years, $330MM. Signed 2-28-19.
- Pirates: Bryan Reynolds – 7 years, $100MM. Signed 4-26-23.
- Rangers: Corey Seager – 10 years, $325MM. Signed 12-1-21.
- Rays: Wander Franco – 11 years, $182MM. Signed 11-27-21.
- Red Sox: Rafael Devers– 10 years, $313.5MM. Signed 1-4-23.
- Reds: Joey Votto – 10 years, $225MM. Signed 4-2-12.
- Rockies: Nolan Arenado – 7 years, $234MM. Signed 2-26-19.
- Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. – 11 years, $288,777,777. Signed 2-5-24.
- Tigers: Miguel Cabrera – 8 years, $248MM. Signed 3-31-14.
- Twins: Carlos Correa– 6 years, $200MM. Signed 1-10-23.
- White Sox: Andrew Benintendi– 5 years, $75MM. Signed 12-16-22.
- Yankees: Aaron Judge – 9 years, $360MM. Signed 12-7-22.
Pirates a joke
It’s been 20 years and the fact that Eric Chavez and Jason Kendall are still the biggest contracts in both teams’ history is beyond a joke. It has to be addressed in the new CBA
They have the freedom to spend how they want… I don’t see the problem.
The problem is teams get to continue to exist being protected under the banner of Major League Baseball despite the product they put on the field (mainly calling out the Pirates). Meaning ownership pockets cash with no urgency to improve the team unlike other non-sports markets where if your product sucks your business goes under.
That makes more sense, so yes, less involvement by the MLB would work better for the competition of the sport. However, teams do have the right to spend freely, so you must have a happy medium.
Salary floor requirements. Shrink team control. 2 years team control. 2 years arb. Hit free agency after 4 years. Decrease the amount of time teams can keep players on the cheap, force them to spend money to keep them.
Also, punishments for finishing in the bottom 15% of the league multiple years in a row. Fines. Not draft picks as that defeats the purpose. If they have to spend the money either way, might as well do it on players.
Free agency after 4 years? Then you get Guys like Soto hitting the Market at a very young age. That would also put pressure on teams to spend though, with bigger extensions happening. It would be an interesting thought
The problem is a franchise like the Pirates, running a $50M payroll, while getting subsidized by MLB Central Fund ( revenue sharing) to the tune of $30M to $40M per year. With a 2.4M metro market, a gorgeous ballpark, and a city of truly great fans, this team has been run on the cheap for far too long.
Maybe a mandate to spend a minimum amount of $85M to $100M would force a team like the Pirates to spend on player salaries and improve the level of play. Their fans deserve so much better.
Penalize teams for losing, reward teams for winning. If MLB keeps doing the opposite there’s not j cent I’ve for these teams to win or spend.
Agreed.
Wow, that was brutal “ not j cent I’ve”
Should read, “There’s no incentive “
My apologies.
Free agency after 4 years is ludacris, no team would be able to constantly stay competitive .
Things seem to work out better in other sports because there appears to be more transparency with the books. The MLBPA doesn’t trust the league and if you want a floor there has to be a ceiling.
What about making contracts yearly like Charlie O wanted 59 years ago? What about mandatory team options with player options? What does the league get out of your suggestions?
What’s forgotten is there are no minor leagues systems in most other major sports. Baseball players take time to develop. Such costs money. Glad teams are finding places for those in the minors to live. The truth is baseball represents America. High risk can become high rewards.
yeah…. FA after 4 years would do nothing but make the sport less balanced .
Instead of teams like the Pirates/Rays/A’s getting 4-5+ years out of their guys they’re going to be turning the team over every 2-3 years. The large market teams can swallow up more talent and you’d have to send draft bonuses south because you aren’t going to pay the same for 4 years of projected production.
@Tcsbaseball: “Free agency after 4 years is ludacris, no team would be able to constantly stay competitive .”
I disagree and think free agency after seven years is way more ridiculous and hurts players. Kyler Murray is one who chose football because he could make a lot of money right out of the gate instead of waiting four years just to get an Arbitration salary.
And sorry, but I have no sympathy for teams not being able to ‘stay competitive’. Even if they want to cry poor, a team like the Rays (and to a similar extent, the A’s) manages to be competitive. There’s no excuse for garbage franchises like the Pirates and Marlins.
The Pirates problem isn’t that they refuse to ink mega deals, which are mostly ill advised, but rather their lack of spending in general. Avoiding big contracts is a good strategy. Avoiding spending at all, not so much.
Kyler Murray would’ve chosen football anyway.
You have these guys play minor league baseball for multiple years before coming up. They’re not making any money doing that. A Kyler Murray is never going to choose baseball unless he loves the game of baseball more than football. Monetarily it’s not going to make sense for him…
There’s development time in baseball and that’s why your shortened control period would kill small market teams. Or you’re going to hold a guy down until you’re certain he’s going to make a big impact on your team—since you only have him for 4 years. There’s no way Kelenic is playing for the M’s last year. I doubt wander Franco is even up for the Rays.
Absolutely. The Pirates would be better off signing 5 or 6 guys to contracts with AAV’s of $8-10 mil per year than if they signed one freaking guy to $30 mil per year and all the rest making major league minimum. Baseball is a team sport. You need a bunch of good players to win. Ask Mike Trout.
They don’t. They don’t have the revenue to spend like other teams. I don’t know why fans continue to think that the Pirates and A’s have the same revenue streams as the Dodgers and Yankees. Yes the Pirates could spend more and still make a profit, but we’re talking a few tens of millions. A $30m a year contract would destroy that franchise.
And before you talk about how right the Pirates’ owner is, I don’t care. It’s irrelevant. Baseball franchises are entirely separate businesses from the other wealth-makers in their owners’ portfolios. They don’t subsidize.
For every Kyler Murray there are 5 Jeff Samardzija’s who would make maybe $3 million in the NFL and made 10+ times that in the MLB. Oh, and they can walk when they hit 50.
Dodgers and Yankees would love that. They’d basically get to cherry pick the best young players in the sport every year.
Kyler Murray is a QB.
No QB going at the top of the draft is going to pick baseball for monetary reasons.
Shark was something like a projected 3rd round pick at WR. That’s not even close to what I’m talking about.
Qb’s are the highest paid position. You don’t have to ride the bus to Binghamton NY and Norfolk VA.
You’re a pro from day 1. Immediate exposure and advertising deals. Qbs play the highest compensated position and they’re very protected by the rules. Any top of the draft Qb who picked baseball would have to love it or be an absolutely generational baseball talent that doesn’t need any minor league seasoning.
Highly unlikely outcome. 2 sport athletes typically aren’t refined enough to step into the bigs immediately. A guy like Kyler Murray doesn’t choose the MLB. There’s nothing baseball can do about that. Just the way it is.
You’re doing a 1 in 100 NFL/MLB example and using it as an end-all-be-all argument. John Elway did the same thing. I’m talking about the 999 others.
Both would have chosen football regardless because they knew they’d do well, and play the ultimate paying position. They got endorsement deals the second their pen hit the contracts.
Makes me think of another two-sport star… Bo Jackson should have quit playing football after he got his endorsement deals. He would have had another 8 years in MLB raking in millions. Instead, both careers (and his endorsement deals) were ruined because of his Sunday hobby.
I was replying to the guy who literally brought up Kyler Murray.
But his story would apply for any top QB who is also a baseball prospect. You don’t see that very often—especially now since kids tend to focus on 1 sport and drop the other. Obviously the chances you are going to be a top baseball and QB prospect are extremely small. I’m saying if you are—it’s pretty clear where you’re gonna go
And I don’t disagree w/ anything you said. If you’re playing any other position but QB— you have a very tough decision to make.
That’s the point
Of the 10 teams that made the playoffs in 2021, 8 had made it in 2020, 7 in 2019 and 6 in 2018
That’s ridiculous.
The only way you could do 4 years then FA would be to make RFA a think and give the team losing said player the right to match any offer