“Unveiling the Billion-Dollar League: The Top Earners in MLB History You Never Knew About!”

Baseball has undergone a revolutionary transformation when it comes to player contracts, from the days when even legends like Joe DiMaggio felt the sting of boos despite stellar performance. Imagine a time when a baseball superstar was making just $25,000 a year and facing public scrutiny for wanting a raise—it’s nearly unimaginable in today’s financial landscape. Fast forward to now, and we’re talking jaw-dropping sums that would make DiMaggio dizzy. As the game evolves, so do the stakes, and the highest salaries in Major League Baseball seem to change with the seasons. Dive into our exploration of the largest contracts in MLB history and marvel at the figures that have redefined what it means to be a king of the diamond. But remember—don’t blink, because the records are constantly being rewritten! If you’re curious to learn more about the highest-paid players and their record-breaking achievements, LEARN MORE.
Years: 2024-33; Average Annual Salary: ,350,000; Signing Age: 26

Years: 2023-31; Average Annual Salary: ,000,000; Signing Age: 30

The signing of Yamamoto out of Japan in December 2023 was part of quite the signing spree by the Dodgers after getting ousted by the rival Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 playoffs. They inked Shohei Ohtani to a historic deal, traded for and then signed Tyler Glasnow and added the best free-agent pitcher out of Japan in Yamamoto. The contract does offer the 5-foot-10, 176-pound ace opt-out opportunities after 2028 and 2032. The three moves totaled an eye-popping .1 billion.

Years: 2023-33; Average Annual Salary: ,818,182; Signing Age: 30

A-Rod re-signed with the Bronx Bombers after opting out of the final three seasons and million of a landmark 2 million deal (now No. 12) with the Texas Rangers in 2001, which had more than doubled the previous record contract (Colorado Rockies 2000 free agent signee Mike Hampton’s deal for eight years, 1 million).

The Largest Contracts in MLB History

MLB teams have increasingly sought to sign younger players to long-term contracts at the service-time level, but Tatis’ shattered previous deals. He was 22 in February 2021 when extended to baseball’s longest contract in years (14).

1. Juan Soto, New York Mets – $765M (15 years)

Years: 2019-26; Average Annual Salary: ,500,000; Signing Age: 27

2. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers – $700M (10 years)

The rich got richer as the 2022 NL champions signed another star to team with Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins, Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler.

Years: 2023-33; Average Annual Salary: ,454,545; Signing Age: 30

3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays – $500M (14 years)

Cole and the Yankees made the math easy with a million base salary in each of the nine years of the free agent pitcher’s contract. Interestingly, Cole was the No. 1 pick in a 2011 draft top 10 that included Lindor, Anthony Rendon (tied for 14th below) and Trevor Bauer (his million 2022 salary is a one-year high; Max Scherzer’s .3M is the overall average high for MLB contracts).

Years: 2019-28; Average Annual Salary: ,000,000; Signing Age: 26

4. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels – $426.5M (12 years)

Years: 2024-38; Average Annual Salary: ,000,000; Signing Age: 26

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