Tim Dierkes | MLB Trade Rumors

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat Hosted By Former MLB Pitcher Collin Balester

By Tim Dierkes | January 30, 2023 at 2:57pm CDT

Righty Collin Balester was part of the last-ever Montreal Expos draft in 2004, as the club took him in the fourth round out of Huntington Beach High School. Though he came from a surfing family, according to Baseball America, Balester moved quickly through the lower minors. By 2007, he was considered the Nationals’ best prospect and a future number one or two starter.

During the summer of ’08, Balester was deemed ready to join the rotation of the tanking Nationals club. He made a career-high 15 starts as a 22-year-old rookie, putting up three quality starts in the process.

Balester eventually moved into a relief role for the Nats, but was traded to the Tigers in December 2011. His career also included stops in the Rangers, Pirates, Reds, and Giants organizations, as well as a stint with KBO’s Samsung Lions. Along the way, Balester underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2013, battling to get back to the Majors with the Reds in after a gap of more than three years.

Ultimately, Collin topped 200 total innings in the Majors in parts of six different seasons. Along the way he managed to strike out Ken Griffey Jr., Buster Posey, Freddie Freeman, and Chipper Jones, among many others. Now 36, Collin owns a juice shop with his wife called Local Roots, and also does logistics for an expedited shipping truck company. Give him a follow @Ballystar99 on Twitter.

Collin took questions from MLBTR readers today, covering a wide range of topics including being traded, pitching in Korea, being on the 2012 Tigers, and his juice and smoothie recommendations. Click here to read the transcript!

If you’re a current or former MLB player, we’d love to host you for a future chat! It only takes one hour, and you get to choose which questions to publish and answer. Contact us here!

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat Hosted By Former MLB Pitcher Cory Wade

By Tim Dierkes | January 26, 2023 at 9:58am CDT

Righty Cory Wade was drafted by the Dodgers in the 10th round in 2004 out of Kentucky Wesleyan College “after setting the career record for strikeouts at Indianapolis’ Broad Ripple High,” according to Baseball America. He broke into the Majors in late April of 2008 as a 24-year-old, tossing a scoreless inning against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

As Wade’s stellar rookie season continued, he gained the trust of manager Joe Torre. He finished the regular season with a 2.27 ERA in 71 1/3 innings, ranking third among all relievers. Wade was a key part of the Dodgers’ NLDS sweep of the Cubs in ’08, pitching well out of L.A.’s bullpen in all three games.

Unfortunately, Wade’s Dodgers career was derailed by shoulder surgery. He battled to get back to the Majors, opting out of a minor league deal with the Rays in the summer of 2011 and signing with the Yankees. Wade jumped straight into the Yankees’ big league bullpen on June 15th, posting a 2.04 ERA on the season that was bested by only a handful of AL relievers, including pen-mates Mariano Rivera and David Robertson. Under manager Joe Girardi, Wade once again found himself getting crucial postseason innings, putting up two scoreless against the Tigers in the second game of the ALDS.

Wade moved around after his time with the Yankees, pitching in Triple-A for the Rays, Cubs, Mets, and Royals organizations. After retiring from pitching, Wade spent nine years as a pro scout for the Padres. He recently left that job to help start a sports scouting app called ScoutUs Pro.

Despite an average fastball velocity shy of 90 miles per hour, Wade showed impeccable control and wound up as one of the league’s better relievers in his work with both the ’08 Dodgers and ’11 Yankees. His strikeout victims included Chipper Jones, Bobby Abreu, and Todd Helton.

Cory answered questions from MLBTR readers for over an hour today, touching on topics such as modern baseball analytics, scouting, bouncing back from injuries, and much more. Check out the transcript here!

If you’re a current or former MLB player and you’d like to host an hour-long chat with our readers, contact us here! It’s easy and fun!

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat Hosted By Former MLB Catcher Michael McKenry

By Tim Dierkes | January 25, 2023 at 9:57am CDT

Michael McKenry is next up in our MLB Player Chat series! Michael was drafted by the Rockies as a catcher in the seventh round back in 2006 out of Middle Tennessee State University, after starring at Farragut High School in Knoxville.

Four years later, McKenry made his MLB debut with the Rockies. Not long after, the Rockies traded him to the Red Sox for Daniel Turpen. The Red Sox flipped McKenry to the Pirates a few months later.

As a rookie in 2011, McKenry led the Pirates in innings caught, pairing with Ryan Doumit. He split duties the following year with Rod Barajas, and then worked behind Russell Martin on the 2013 Pirates.

McKenry had a two-home run game in 2013, victimizing the Reds’ Mat Latos and Jonathan Broxton in an April win at PNC Park. A few months later McKenry had a four-hit game at Marlins Park. That Bucs team won 94 games, ended the franchise’s 20-year losing streak, and emerged victorious in the Wild Card game against Johnny Cueto and the Reds.

The 2013 season was cut short for McKenry by a knee injury, and the Pirates non-tendered him in December. He inked a minor league deal to return to the Rockies and serve as Wilin Rosario’s backup in 2014. In 192 plate appearances that year, McKenry batted a robust .315/.398/.512 – one of the finest batting lines featured by a catcher.

McKenry finished his MLB career with the Cardinals, snagging a couple last MLB plate appearances in 2016. He also spent time in the Red Sox, Braves, Rangers, Brewers, and Rays organizations. McKenry’s MLB career wrapped up with more than 2,000 innings behind the dish. He paired up with Pirates standout pitchers such as Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, Charlie Morton, and A.J. Burnett.

McKenry hit 29 home runs in his 953 career plate appearances, including shots off Johan Santana and Jonathan Papelbon. He also had the pleasure of hitting a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 11th off the Mariners’ Mayckol Guaipe for the Rockies in 2015. That same year, McKenry nabbed his lone career stolen base off Derek Norris. The man nicknamed “The Fort” managed a fine wRC+ of 109 at the plate back in 2012, plus an excellent 140 mark in 2014.

Today at age 37, Michael serves as a pregame, postgame, and color analyst for the Pirates, as well as a speaker, mentor, and consultant. You can follow him on Twitter @theFortMcKenry.

Michael was kind enough to volunteer some time to take questions about his career, the Pirates’ future, his work in the broadcast booth and quite a bit more in a chat with MLBTR readers today. You can read the transcript of his chat here.

If you’re a current or former MLB player, we’d love to have you for a chat with our readers! It’s a great way to interact with fans for an hour (or longer, as Michael did today!), and you get to choose which questions you publish. Click here to contact us.

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat With Former MLB Pitcher Jacob Turner

By Tim Dierkes | January 24, 2023 at 9:59am CDT

Considered the “consensus top high school righthander available” by Baseball America back in 2009, Jacob Turner was drafted ninth overall by the Tigers out of Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri. He stood at 6’5″, 210 lbs and touched 98 with his fastball. Adviser Scott Boras was able to get the 18-year-old Turner a $5.5MM Major League contract, most of which came in the form of a signing bonus.

After two years in the minors, MLB.com ranked Turner the 15th prospect in the game, ahead of future stars such as Nolan Arenado, Zack Wheeler, and Francisco Lindor. Turner made his MLB debut at the age of 20, pitching well against the Angels for Jim Leyland’s Tigers. At that point in late 2011, Turner profiled as a future number two or three starter in the Majors.

The following year, Turner picked up his first big league win on July 22nd against the White Sox. The 2012 Tigers would go on to win the pennant, but they’d do so without Turner. The day after that first career W, they sent him packing to the Marlins for more immediate help in the form of Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante.

By late May 2013, Turner had secured a spot in a Marlins rotation that also featured Jose Fernandez, Tom Koehler, Ricky Nolasco, Nathan Eovaldi, and Henderson Alvarez. Turner’s age-22 season would turn out to be his best, as he put together 20 starts with a 3.74 ERA that year.

Things took a turn in 2014, as Turner lost both his rotation and 40-man roster spots with the Marlins, joining the Cubs on a waiver claim. An elbow injury spoiled Turner’s 2015 season, which ended in a crosstown waiver claim by the White Sox. Turner went on to a stint with the Nationals, followed by returns to the Marlins and Tigers. For the 2019 season, Turner moved to KBO’s Kia Tigers.

Turner’s time in MLB was over before his 30th birthday, certainly not the career some expected of him back when he was starring in high school and the low minors. But he still competed for parts of seven seasons in the bigs, pitching 369 innings and making 56 starts. The 22-year-old kid was pretty darn good in the Majors in 2013, going at least seven innings five different times that year. One career highlight: a one-run, complete game victory over the Padres that year. Across those seven seasons, Turner punched out many of the game’s stars, including Bryce Harper, Buster Posey, Carlos Beltran, Jose Bautista, Nolan Arenado, David Wright, and Freddie Freeman.

Still only 31 years old, Turner now runs a company that “helps educate athletes around money and helps them be good stewards of the money earned in their careers,” as he puts it. He’s on Twitter @TheSuddenWealth, where he posted a thread last summer about his experiences that ended up going viral. Jacob notes that people can DM him on Twitter to get in touch, and you can view his website here.

Jacob took questions from MLBTR readers earlier today. Click here to read the transcript!

If you’re a current or former MLB player, we’d love to have you for a chat with our readers! It’s a great way to interact with fans for an hour, and you get to choose which questions you publish. Click here to contact us.

Read The Transcript Of Our Chat With Knuckleballer Mickey Jannis

By Tim Dierkes | January 23, 2023 at 9:58am CDT

MLB player chats are back! Last year, MLBTR readers chatted with 13 different former and current MLB players, and it was a blast. This year, we’ve got more than 25 on tap. If you’re a former or current MLB player, we’d love to host you for a chat! It’s a great time, and you get to choose which questions you publish and answer. Click here to contact us.

Today’s chat guest, pitcher Mickey Jannis, is a study in perseverance. Mickey was drafted by the Rays in the 44th round out of California State University, Bakersfield – a draft round that doesn’t even exist anymore. By 2012 he found himself in independent ball, at which point he converted to a knuckleball pitcher. After grinding it out for four years with teams like the Lake Erie Crushers, Bridgeport Bluefish, and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Jannis managed to land a minor league deal with the Mets.

Jannis honed his craft for three years in the Mets organization, reaching Triple-A. He then inked a deal with the Orioles, only to see the minor league season cancelled in 2020. Jannis stuck with the O’s, and was rewarded with his lone big league opportunity to date in 2021. On June 23rd, 2021 at Camden Yards, Jannis entered the losing side of a 6-0 game against the heart of the Astros’ order. His first opponent was the dangerous Yordan Alvarez, and Jannis caught him looking. Though Jannis was not able to make it through the rest of the outing unscathed, he’d made it to the big leagues as a 33-year-old rookie knuckleballer after 12 years of minor league baseball.

19 months later, Jannis remains the last knuckleballer to pitch in the Major Leagues. The knuckleball is a lonely road and often a last resort for a pitcher, but this spinless wonder has given us multiple Hall of Famers and All-Stars. The most recent major success with the pitch was R.A. Dickey, who won the NL Cy Young award in 2012 and pitched successfully through 2017, his age-42 season.

MLB teams haven’t cracked the code on the knuckleball, and most seemingly have not figured out a way to teach the pitch. Who knows, maybe the pendulum will swing and the lowest possible spin rate will become the new market inefficiency. For Mickey Jannis’ sake, we’d love to see it. As Mickey puts it, he’s “currently working out for teams, trying to keep the knuckleball alive!” You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @mickeyjannis.

Today, Mickey answered questions from MLBTR readers for over an hour. Click here to read the transcript.

Are You A Current Or Former MLB Player?

By Tim Dierkes | January 19, 2023 at 11:59pm CDT

Last offseason during the lockout, 13 current and former MLB players conducted live chats with MLBTR readers. If you’ve played in MLB, there’s a chance you’ve been teammates with one of them: Christian Colón, Dan Straily, Chad Cordero, Caleb Joseph, Jody Gerut, Paul Sewald, Chipper Jones, Alex Hinshaw, Shea Hillenbrand, Will Ohman, Tyler Danish, Christian Bergman, and Jonny Gomes. You can check out transcripts from all of those chats here.

When I started this site, Rich Hill was a rookie, and now he’s the oldest player in baseball! So we’ve been around for a while. In MLB Trade Rumors’ 17-year-existence, I’ve heard many anecdotes about players reading this website in the clubhouse. I still think that’s awesome! If you’re reading this and you’ve played Major League Baseball, we’d love to have you do a one-hour online chat with our readers.

What’s in it for you? First, it’s a really cool way to have positive interactions with fans in a controlled setting. Hundreds of questions will be submitted, but you get to scroll through and pick which ones to publish and answer. Last offseason, the response to this project was overwhelmingly positive, and many players enjoyed it so much they chatted well beyond their allotted hour. These chats are done on a computer, kind of like a chat room, so there’s no setting up cameras. Second, MLBTR reaches a wide audience, and we’re happy to link to your favorite charity or whatever project you’re currently working on.

To get in touch with us, you can reach out through MLBTR’s contact form. Or, if you’re on Twitter, you can reply to one of our tweets and we can direct message there.

2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker

By Tim Dierkes | January 14, 2023 at 7:30am CDT

Today is the deadline for players and teams to exchange figures in arbitration — an annual deadline that leads to a slew of one-year deals and, typically, a handful of multi-year deals. In all likelihood, more than 100 players will agree to their salary for the 2023 season within the next few hours. MLBTR is planning to make improvements on our old Arbitration Tracker tool, but that’s a goal for next year. For 2023, we’ll put all of the agreements in this post.

Each player’s service time is in parentheses, and you can of course check back to see each player’s projected salary from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. We’ll keep this updated throughout the day — refresh for updates — and break off some of the larger, more prominent agreements in separate entries.

Angels (9)

Hunter Renfroe (5.165): No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Shohei Ohtani (5.000): $30MM agreement in October
Gio Urshela (5.127): No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Griffin Canning (3.075): $850K agreement
Luis Rengifo (3.043): No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Jaime Barria (3.035): $1.05MM agreement
Jared Walsh (3.010): $2.65MM agreement
Taylor Ward (2.164): $2.75MM agreement
Patrick Sandoval (2.149): $2.75MM agreement

Astros (8)

Phil Maton (5.047): $2.55MM agreement
Ryne Stanek (5.038): $3.6MM agreement
Framber Valdez (3.163): $6.8MM agreement
Kyle Tucker (3.079) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Jose Urquidy (3.049): $3.025MM agreement
Cristian Javier (3.000): No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Blake Taylor (3.000): $830K agreement
Mauricio Dubon (2.162): $1.4MM agreement

Athletics (3)

Tony Kemp (5.098): $3.725MM agreement
Ramon Laureano (3.165): $3.55MM agreement
Paul Blackburn (3.018): $1.9MM agreement

Blue Jays (12)

Adam Cimber (4.156): $3.15MM agreement
Trevor Richards (4.084): $1.5MM agreement
Danny Jansen (4.050): $3.5MM agreement
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3.157) $14.5MM agreement
Tim Mayza (3.156): $2.1MM agreement
Cavan Biggio (3.129): $2.8MM agreement
Erik Swanson (3.096) $1.25MM agreement
Trent Thornton (3.073): $1MM agreement
Bo Bichette (3.063) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Jordan Romano (3.051): $4.5375MM agreement
Santiago Espinal (2.149): $2.1MM agreement
Daulton Varsho (2.128): $3.05MM agreement

Braves (8)

Joe Jimenez (5.061): $2.765MM agreement
A.J. Minter (4.154): $4.2875MM agreement
Max Fried (4.148) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Mike Soroka (4.122): $2.8MM agreement in November
Tyler Matzek (4.019): two-year, $3.1MM deal in November
Lucas Luetge (4.015): $1.55MM agreement
Dennis Santana (3.095): $1MM agreement
Sean Murphy (3.029): six-year, $73MM extension earlier this month

Brewers (14)

Victor Caratini (5.051): $2.8MM agreement yesterday
Brandon Woodruff (4.161): $10.8MM agreement
Matt Bush (4.132): $1.85MM agreement in November
Willy Adames (4.105): $8.7MM agreement
Corbin Burnes (4.049) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Eric Lauer (4.033): $5.075MM agreement
Adrian Houser (4.010): $3.6MM agreement in November
Rowdy Tellez (4.004): $4.95MM agreement
Luis Urias (3.120): $4.7MM agreement
Hoby Milner (3.068): $1.025MM agreement yesterday
Devin Williams (3.056): $3.35MM agreement
Mike Brosseau (3.031): $1.4MM agreement in December
Keston Hiura (3.009): $2.2MM agreement
Abraham Toro (2.149): $1.25MM agreement

Cardinals (10)

Jordan Montgomery (5.153): $10MM agreement
Chris Stratton (5.100): $2.8MM agreement in November
Jack Flaherty (5.006): $5.4MM agreement
Jordan Hicks (5.000): $1.8375MM agreement
Dakota Hudson (4.062): $2.65MM agreement
Tyler O’Neill (4.059): $4.95MM agreement
Tommy Edman (3.114): $4.2MM agreement
Ryan Helsley (3.105): No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Andrew Knizner (3.021): $1.1MM agreement
Genesis Cabrera (3.011): No agreement reached, will exchange figures

Cubs (6)

Ian Happ (5.036): $10.85MM agreement
Rowan Wick (3.114): $1.55MM agreement in November
Nico Hoerner (3.014): $2.525MM agreement
Codi Heuer (3.000): $785K agreement
Nick Madrigal (2.164): $1.225MM agreement
Adrian Sampson (2.117): $1.9MM agreement in November

Diamondbacks (6)

Carson Kelly (4.161): $4.275MM agreement
Christian Walker (4.124): $6.5MM agreement
Zac Gallen (3.100): $5.6MM agreement
Cole Sulser (3.028): $825K agreement in November
Josh Rojas (2.152) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Kyle Lewis (2.146): $1.61MM agreement

Dodgers (10)

Julio Urias (5.117): $14.25MM agreement
Walker Buehler (4.168): $8.025MM agreement
Caleb Ferguson (4.088): $1.1MM agreement
Yency Almonte (3.143) $1.5MM agreement
Will Smith (3.090): $5.25MM agreement
Dustin May (3.059): $1.675MM agreement
Trayce Thompson (3.010): $1.45MM agreement
Brusdar Graterol (2.167): $1.225MM agreement
Tony Gonsolin (2.152) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Evan Phillips (2.136): $1.3MM agreement

Giants (10)

Scott Alexander (5.080): $1.15MM agreement in November
John Brebbia (5.078): $2.3MM agreement
Jakob Junis (5.002): $2.8MM agreement
Austin Slater (4.147): $3.2MM agreement
J.D. Davis (4.137) $4.21MM agreement
Mike Yastrzemski (3.128): $6.1MM agreement in November
Logan Webb (3.044): $4.6MM agreement
LaMonte Wade Jr. (3.035): $1.375MM agreement
Tyler Rogers (3.034): $1.675MM agreement
Thairo Estrada (2.169): $2.25MM agreement

Guardians (7)

Amed Rosario (5.062): $7.8MM agreement
Shane Bieber (4.097): $10.01MM agreement
Cal Quantrill (3.132): $5.55MM agreement
Josh Naylor (3.127): $3.35MM agreement
Zach Plesac (3.086): $2.95MM agreement
Aaron Civale (3.058): $2.6MM agreement
James Karinchak (2.169) $1.5MM agreement

Marlins (9)

Joey Wendle (5.088): $6MM agreement
Garrett Cooper (5.053): $4.2MM agreement
Dylan Floro (5.053): $3.9MM agreement in November
Jacob Stallings (4.149): $3.35MM agreement
Pablo Lopez (4.093): $5.45MM agreement
Tanner Scott (4.059): $2.825MM agreement
Jon Berti (3.168): Did not reach agreement, will exchange figures
JT Chargois (3.101): Reportedly reached one-year agreement
Jesus Luzardo (2.165): Did not reach agreement, will exchange figures

Mariners (6)

Teoscar Hernandez (5.097): Did not reach agreement, will exchange figures
Tom Murphy (5.092): $1.625MM agreement
Diego Castillo (4.118): Did not reach agreement, will exchange figures
Paul Sewald (4.072): $4.1MM agreement
Dylan Moore (4.000): Did not reach agreement, will exchange figures
Ty France (3.089): $4.1MM agreement

Mets (8)

Tomas Nido (4.089): Reportedly reached one-year agreement
Jeff McNeil (4.069): Did not reach agreement, will exchange figures
Joey Lucchesi (4.067) $1.15MM agreement in December
Elieser Hernandez (4.051): Reportedly reached one-year agreement
Drew Smith (4.034): $1.3MM agreement
Pete Alonso (4.000): $14.5MM agreement
Luis Guillorme (3.167): Reportedly reached one-year agreement
Jeff Brigham (3.010): Reportedly reached one-year agreement

Nationals (8)

Carl Edwards Jr. (5.169): $2.25MM agreement
Victor Robles (4.033) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Tanner Rainey (3.127): $1.5MM agreement in December
Hunter Harvey (3.047): Agreed to one-year deal, per team.
Victor Arano (3.022): $925K agreement
Lane Thomas (3.014): $2.2MM agreement
Ildemaro Vargas (3.007): One-year, $975K deal in November
Kyle Finnegan (3.000): $2.325MM agreement

Orioles (6)

Anthony Santander (4.162): $7.4MM agreement
Austin Voth (3.127): Did not reach an agreement, will exchange figures
Cedric Mullins (3.078) : $4.1MM agreement
Austin Hays (3.057): $3.2MM agreement
Dillon Tate (3.048): $1.5MM agreement
Jorge Mateo (3.000): $2MM agreement

Padres (8)

Josh Hader (5.115): $14.1MM agreement
Juan Soto (4.134): $23MM agreement
Tim Hill (4.112): $1.85MM agreement
Jose Castillo (3.125): $730K agreement in November
Austin Nola (3.106): $2.35MM agreement
Trent Grisham (3.060): $3.175MM agreement
Adrian Morejon (3.013): $800K agreement
Jake Cronenworth (3.000): $4.225MM agreement

Phillies (8)

Jose Alvarado (5.082) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Rhys Hoskins (5.053): $12MM agreement
Seranthony Dominguez (4.131): Did not reach agreement, will exchange figures
Jake Cave (3.137): $950K agreement in November (then with the Orioles)
Ranger Suarez (3.112): $2.95MM agreement
Gregory Soto (3.102): $3.925MM agreement
Sam Coonrod (3.078): $775K agreement in November
Edmundo Sosa (2.140): $950K agreement

Pirates (6)

Ji-Man Choi (5.076) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Robert Stephenson (5.049): $1.75MM agreement
Miguel Andujar (4.002): $1.525MM agreement in November
Duane Underwood Jr. (3.044): $1.025MM agreement
Mitch Keller (3.026): $2.4375MM agreement
JT Brubaker (3.000): $2.275MM agreement

Rangers (5)

Mitch Garver (5.045) $3.9MM agreement
Brett Martin (3.151): $1.275MM agreement
Taylor Hearn (3.125): $1.4625MM agreement
Jonathan Hernandez (3.041): $995K agreement
Nathaniel Lowe (2.145): $4.05MM agreement

Rays (14)

Yonny Chirinos (4.125): $1.275MM agreement
Yandy Diaz (4.122) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Shawn Armstrong (4.113): $1.2MM agreement
Jalen Beeks (4.070): $1.375MM agreement
Andrew Kittredge (4.070): $2.075MM agreement
Francisco Mejia (4.062): $2.155MM agreement
Jeffrey Springs (4.055) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Harold Ramirez (3.124) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Colin Poche (3.109) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Pete Fairbanks (3.057) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Christian Bethancourt (3.038): $1.35MM agreement
Ryan Thompson (3.000) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Jason Adam (2.132) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Randy Arozarena (2.129): $4.15MM agreement

Red Sox (8)

Ryan Brasier (5.109): $2MM agreement
Rafael Devers (5.070): $17.5MM agreement earlier this month (followed by 10-year, $313MM extension)
Nick Pivetta (4.166): $5.35MM agreement
Alex Verdugo (4.078): $6.3MM agreement
Rob Refsnyder (4.048): $1.2MM agreement in November
Christian Arroyo (4.036): $2MM agreement
Josh Taylor (3.121): $1.025MM agreement earlier this week
Reese McGuire (3.027): $1.225MM agreement

Reds (7)

Buck Farmer (5.140): $1.75MM agreement in November
Luis Cessa (5.131): $2.65MM agreement
Kevin Newman (4.046): $2.662MM agreement
Lucas Sims (4.014): $1.2675MM agreement
Nick Senzel (3.150): $1.95MM agreement
Justin Dunn (3.016): $900K agreement
Tejay Antone (3.000): $770K agreement

Rockies (5)

Brent Suter (5.161): $3MM agreement in November
Dinelson Lamet (5.070): $5MM agreement in November
Tyler Kinley (4.014): three-year, $6.25MM deal in November
Austin Gomber (3.111): $1.65MM agreement earlier this week
Brendan Rodgers (3.075): $2.7MM agreement

Royals (9)

Amir Garrett (5.099): $2.65MM agreement
Adalberto Mondesi (5.088): $3.045MM agreement in December
Brad Keller (5.000): $5.775MM agreement
Scott Barlow (4.030): $5.3MM agreement
Nicky Lopez (3.139): $3.7MM agreement
Taylor Clarke (3.120): $1.15MM agreement
Josh Staumont (3.072): $1.025MM agreement
Brady Singer (2.156) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Kris Bubic (2.135): $2.2MM agreement

Tigers (4)

Jose Cisnero (5.020): $2.2875MM agreement
Austin Meadows (4.074): $4.3MM agreement in November
Tyler Alexander (3.058): $1.875MM agreement in November
Rony Garcia (2.138): Agreed to one-year deal, per team.

Twins (8)

Emilio Pagan (5.091): $3.5MM agreement
Tyler Mahle (5.018): $7.5MM agreement
Caleb Thielbar (4.131): $2.4MM agreement
Kyle Farmer (4.129): $5.585MM agreement
Jorge Lopez (4.102): $3.525MM agreement
Chris Paddack (4.000): $2.4MM agreement
Luis Arraez (3.121) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Jorge Alcala (3.014): $790K agreement
Kyle Garlick (2.163): $750K agreement in November (Garlick is currently in DFA limbo)

White Sox (5)

Lucas Giolito (5.080): $10.4MM agreement
Reynaldo Lopez (5.004): Agreed to one-year deal
Dylan Cease (3.089): $5.7MM agreement
Jose Ruiz (3.048): $925K agreement
Michael Kopech (3.041): $2.05MM agreement

Yankees (12)

Wandy Peralta (5.168) $3.35MM agreement
Frankie Montas (5.015): $7.5MM agreement
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (5.000): $6MM agreement in November
Lou Trivino (4.163): $4.1MM agreement in November
Gleyber Torres (4.162) No agreement reached, will exchange figures
Clay Holmes (4.031): $3.3MM agreement
Jonathan Loaisiga (4.022) $2.26MM agreement
Domingo German (4.017) $2.6MM agreement
Kyle Higashioka (4.005): $1.4625MM agreement
Nestor Cortes (3.094): $3.2MM agreement
Jose Trevino (3.063): $2.36MM agreement
Michael King (3.004) $1.3MM agreement

The Largest Contracts In MLB History

By Tim Dierkes | December 25, 2022 at 10:00pm 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

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

t-2. Aaron Judge, Yankees: 9 years, $360MM. Free agent contract signed December 2022

4. Francisco Lindor, Mets: 10 years, $341MM. Extension signed March 2021. Present-day value due to deferrals: $332,394,479

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

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

t-7. Corey Seager, Rangers: 10 years, $325MM. Free agent contract signed November 2021

t-7. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins: 13 years, $325MM. Extension signed November 2014

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

10. Rafael Devers, Red Sox: 10 years, $313.5MM. Extension signed January 2023. Pending physical

t-11. Manny Machado, Padres: 10 years, $300MM. Free agent contract signed February 2019

t-11. Trea Turner, Phillies: 11 years, $300MM. Free agent contract signed December 2022

13. Xander Bogaerts, Padres: 11 years, $280MM. Free agent contract signed December 2022

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

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

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

t-17. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: 7 years, $245MM. Free agent contract signed December 2019. Present-day value due to deferrals: $228.9MM

t-17. Anthony Rendon, Angels: 7 years, $245MM. Free agent contract signed December 2019

t-19. Albert Pujols, Angels: 10 years, $240MM. Free agent contract signed December 2011

t-19. Robinson Cano, Mariners: 10 years, $240MM. Free agent contract signed December 2013

The Largest MLB Contracts By AAV

By Tim Dierkes | December 25, 2022 at 9:00pm CDT

Below is our list of the 23 largest contracts in MLB history by average annual value (AAV). Please note that if a player was already under contract and signed an extension, only the new money counts. For our list of the largest contracts in total dollars, click here.

1. Max Scherzer, Mets: $43,333,333.33. Free agent contract signed November 2021

2. Justin Verlander, Mets: $43,330,000. Free agent contract signed December 2022

3. Aaron Judge, Yankees: $40,000,000. Free agent contract signed December 2022

4. Jacob deGrom, Rangers: $37,000,000. Free agent contract signed December 2022

t-5. Mike Trout, Angels: $36,000,000. Extension signed March 2019

t-5. Gerrit Cole, Yankees: $36,000,000. Free agent contract signed December 2019

7. Carlos Correa, Twins: $35,100,000. Free agent contract signed March 2022

t-8. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: $35,000,000. Free agent contract signed December 2019

t-8. Anthony Rendon, Angels: $35,000,000. Free agent contract signed December 2019

10. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks: $34,416,667. Free agent contract signed December 2015

11. Francisco Lindor, Mets: $34.1MM. Extension signed March 2021

12. Trevor Bauer, Dodgers: $34,000,000. Free agent contract signed February 2021

13. Nolan Arenado, Rockies: $33,428,571. Extension signed February 2019

14. Carlos Correa, Twins: $33,333,333.33. Free agent contract signed January 2023

15. Justin Verlander, Astros: $33,000,000. Extension signed March 2019

16. Corey Seager, Rangers: $32,500,000. Free agent contract signed November 2021

17. Rafael Devers, Red Sox: $31,350,000. Extension signed January 2023

t-18. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: $31,000,000. Extension signed March 2014

t-18. David Price, Red Sox: $31,000,000. Free agent contract signed December 2015

t-18. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: $31,000,000. Extension signed November 2018

21. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: $30,714,286. Extension signed January 2014

22. Mookie Betts, Dodgers: $30,416,667. Extension signed July 2020

23. Jose Altuve, Astros: $30,200,000. Extension signed March 2018

24. Jacob deGrom, Mets: $30,125,000. Extension signed March 2019

t-25. Manny Machado, Padres: $30,000,000. Free agent contract signed February 2019

t-25. Max Scherzer, Nationals: $30,000,000. Free agent contract signed January 2015

Largest Contract In Franchise History For Each MLB Team

By Tim Dierkes | December 25, 2022 at 7:30pm CDT

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 – 5 years, $151MM. Signed 3-20-18.
Athletics: Eric Chavez – 6 years, $66MM. Signed 3-18-04.
Blue Jays: George Springer – 6 years, $150MM. Signed 1-19-21.
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: Zack Greinke – 6 years, $206.5MM. Signed 12-8-15.
Dodgers: Mookie Betts – 12 years, $365MM. Signed 7-22-20.
Giants: Buster Posey – 8 years, $159MM. Signed 3-29-13.
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: Francisco Lindor – 10 years, $341MM. Signed 3-31-21.
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: Ke’Bryan Hayes – 8 years, $70MM. Signed 4-7-22.
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: Salvador Perez – 4 years, $82MM. Signed 3-21-21.
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera – 8 years, $248MM. Signed 3-31-14.
Twins: Joe Mauer – 8 years, $184MM. Signed 3-21-10.
White Sox: Andrew Benintendi – 5 years, $75MM. Signed 12-16-22.
Yankees: Aaron Judge – 9 years, $360MM. Signed 12-7-22.

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