Largest MLB Contracts & Extensions by Team / Total Value

[South Side Hit Men]

Team Player, Position (Years / Total $ Value, Effective Year) Age at signing, career fWAR through 2022

Free Agent Contracts

1. New York AL Aaron Judge, OF (9/$360M, 2023) 30 36.1
2. San Francisco Carlos Correa, SS (13/$350M, 2023) 28 31.3
3. Philadelphia Bryce Harper, OF (13/$330M, 2019) 27 44.2 
4. Texas Corey Seager, SS (10/$325M, 2022) 27 26.2
5. San Diego Manny Machado, 3B (10/$300M, 2019) 26 46.6
6. Los Angeles AL Anthony Rendon, 3B (7/$245M, 2020) 29 34.2 
7. Washington Stephen Strasburg, RHP (7/$245M, 2020) 32 36.6
8. Seattle Robinson Canó, 2B (10/$240M, 2014) 31 58.1
9. Boston David Price, LHP (7/$217M, 2016) 31 42.5
10. Detroit Prince Fielder, 1B (9/$214M, 2012) 28 27.4
11. Arizona Zack Greinke, RHP (6/$206.5M, 2016) 33 65.5
12. Chicago NL  Jason Heyward, OF (8/$184M, 2016) 27 33.3
13. Colordao Kris Bryant, OF (7/$182M, 2022) 29 32.2
14. Baltimore Chris Davis, 1B (7/$161M, 2016) 30 11.8
15. Toronto George Springer, OF (6 years/$150M, 2021) 32 33.0
16. Los Angles NL Zack Greinke, RHP (6/$147M, 2013) 30 65.5
17. Saint Louis Matt Holliday, OF (7/$120M, 2010) 30 49.4
18. New York NL Carlos Beltrán, OF (7/$119M, 2005) 28 67.8
19. Miami José Reyes, SS (6/$106M, 2012) 29 43.9
20. Minnesota Carlos Correa, SS (3/$103.5M, 2021) 27 31.3
21. Houston Carlos Lee, 1B/LF (6/$100M, 2007) 31 27.7
22. Milwaukee Lorenzo Cain, OF (5/$80M, 2018) 32 30.4
23. Atlanta B.J. Upton, OF (5/$75.25M, 2013) 29 24.6
24. Chicago AL Andrew Benintendi, OF (5/$75M, 2023) 28 13.1
25. Kansas City Alex Gordon, OF (4/$72M, 2016) 32 31.9
26. Cincinnati Nick Castellanos/Mike Moustakas (Both 4/$64M, 2020) 28 12.3 & 32 15.3
27. Cleveland Edwin Encarnación, 1B/DH (3/$60M, 2017) 34 33.2
28. Tampa Bay Zach Eflin, RHP (3/$40M, 2023) 28 8.6
29. Pittsburgh Francisco Liriano, LHP (3/$39M, 2015) 32 23.9
30. Oakland Billy Butler, 1B/DH (3/$30M, 2015) 29 6.3

Contract Extensions

1. Los Angeles NL Mookie Betts, OF (12/$365M, 2020) 27 50.1
2. Los Angeles AL Mike Trout, OF (10/$360M, 2019) 28 82.1
3. New York NL Francisco Lindor, SS (10/$341M, 2021) 27 42.0
4. San Diego Fernando Tatis Jr., SS (14/$340M, 2021) 22 13.6
5. Miami Giancarlo Stanton, OF (13/$325M, 2015) 26 42.5
6. Detroit Miguel Cabrera, 1B (8/$248M, 2014) 31 68.6
7. Colorado Nolan Arenado, 3B (7/$234M, 2019) 28 45.7
8. Cincinnati  Joey Votto, 1B (10/$225M, 2012) 28 57.9
9. Seattle Julio Rodríguez, CF (13/$210M, 2022) 21 5.3
10. New York AL Derek Jeter, SS (10/$189M, 2001) 27 73.0
11. Milwaukee Christian Yelich, OF (7/$188.5M, 2020) 29 36.7
12. Minnesota  Joe Mauer, C (8/$184M, 2010) 27 53.0
13. Tampa Bay Wander Franco, SS (11/$182M, 2022) 21 4.7
14. Washington Stephen Strasburg, RHP (7/$175M, 2016) 28 36.6
15. San Francisco Buster Posey, C (8/$167M, 2013) 26 57.5
16. Boston Adrián González, 1B (7/$154M, 2011) 29 36.3
17. Houston Jose Altuve, 2B (5/$151M, 2018) 28 48.5
18. Philadelphia Cole Hamels, LHP (6/$144M, 2012) 28 51.6
19. Atlanta Freddie Freeman, 1B (8/$135M, 2014) 25 50.4
20. Saint Louis Paul Goldschmidt, 1B (5/$130M, 2019) 31 54.0
21. Toronto Vernon Wells, OF (7/$126M, 2007) 29 25.1
22. Cleveland José Ramírez, 3B (5/$124M, 2022) 29 41.2
23. Texas Elvis Andrus, SS (8/$120M, 2013) 25 35.1
24. Chicago NL Carlos Zambrano, RHP (5/$91.5M, 2007) 26 30.9
25. Baltimore Adam Jones, OF (6/$85M, 2012) 27 28.9
26. Kansas City Salvador Perez, C (4/$82M, 2021) 31 15.7
27. Chicago AL Yoán Moncada, 3B (5/$70M, 2020) 23 13.6
28. Pittsburgh Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B (8/$70M, 2022) 25 6.9
29. Oakland Eric Chavez, 3B (6/$66M, 2004) 27 35.7
30. Arizona Miguel Montero, C (5/$60M, 2012) 29 27.2

[South Side Hit Men]

Combined Team Rankings (Top Free Agent Signings + Contract Extensions)

1. San Diego $640M Machado & Tatis Jr.
2. Los Angeles AL $605M Rendon & Trout
3. New York AL $549M Judge & Jeter
4. San Francisco $517M Correa & Posey
5. Los Angeles NL $512M Greinke & Betts
6. Philadelphia $474M Harper & Hamels
7. Detroit $462M Fielder & Cabrera
8. New York NL $460M Beltran & Lindor
9. Seattle $450M Cano & Rodriguez
10. Texas $445M Seager & Andrus
11. Miami $431M Reyes & Stanton
12. Washington $420M Strasburg & Strasburg
13. Colorado $416M Bryant & Arenado
14. Boston $371M Price & Gonzalez
15. Cincinnati $289M Castellanos (or Moustakas) & Votto
16. Minnesota $287.5M Correa & Mauer
17. Toronto $276M Springer & Wells
18. Chicago NL $275.5M Heyward & Zambrano
19. Milwaukee $268.5M Cain & Yelich
20. Arizona $266.5M Greinke & Montero
21. Houston $251M Lee & Altuve
22. Saint Louis $250M Holliday & Goldschmidt
23. Baltimore $246M Davis & Jones
24. Tampa Bay $222M Eflin & Franco
25. Atlanta $210.25M Upton & Freeman
26. Cleveland $184M Encarnacion & Ramirez
27. Kansas City $154M Gordon & Perez
28. Chicago AL $145M Benintendi & Moncada
29. Pittsburgh $109M Liriano & Hayes
30. Oakland $96M Butler & Chavez

[JUSTgottaBELIEVE]

Shocking to see St. Louis, Atlanta, and Houston so low on that last list. Guess you can win without spending huge money on a single player (compared to teams like SD and LAA who have won nothing since their recent spending sprees).

[South Side Hit Men]

1 hour ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

Shocking to see St. Louis, Atlanta, and Houston so low on that last list. Guess you can win without spending huge money on a single player (compared to teams like SD and LAA who have won nothing since their recent spending sprees).

Yes, that was one of the factors that stood out, the successful teams don’t hamstring their payroll and roster construction with a huge percentage tied to any one or two players.

People reflexively say “baseball is unfair, only a few teams can win it”, when the fact of the matter is the teams with a $ half billion committed to two players have not had much, if any, payroll success.

The Yankees did not win since the Jeter extension, though he did perform well under his deal. Houston and Saint Louis are in the bottom third overall (21st) and are perennially in the hunt.

The other standout for me was setting aside Oakland and Pittsburgh, the importance of making sure you have a HOF or just under HOF threshold player. That Chris Davis deal was awful, and coupled with Baltimore’s relatively small payroll really crushed this team over the past few years. And Washington doubled down on Strasburg (FA and Extension) which has killed the team.

I believe Jerry is right that it is smarter to lock in top hitters over pitchers. It’s unfortunate he does not believe in hiring competent baseball people, including front office or analytics, since the Sox have had a poor record drafting and developing top players in their system. This is the primary weakness in White Sox baseball.

[southsider2k5]

2 hours ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

Shocking to see St. Louis, Atlanta, and Houston so low on that last list. Guess you can win without spending huge money on a single player (compared to teams like SD and LAA who have won nothing since their recent spending sprees).

It is crazy to realize, but Houston controls a market that is basically the size of Chicago, by itself.