FOX Sports Research
The total value of contracts in MLB continues to explode.
Juan Soto signed a record-breaking contract with the New York Mets over the offseason, becoming the second player to receive a deal worth at least $700 million. Vlad Guerrero Jr. joined the all-time richest contract ranks late Sunday night, agreeing to a massive extension with the Toronto Blue Jays to avoid free agency next offseason.
Guerrero’s contract is, by far, the richest ever in Blue Jays history. It’s also one of the many deals worth at least $300 million in MLB history.
But where does Guerrero’s new contract rank all-time? Let’s take a look at the 10 largest contracts in MLB history in terms of dollar amount, based on Spotrac data.
ADVERTISEMENT
<!–>
Top 10 biggest contracts in MLB history
After playing with the Nationals for his whole career, Harper left for the division-rival Phillies in 2019. His 13-year deal was the longest given to a free agent and the largest in MLB history at the time it was signed. In the time since, he’s won the 2021 NL MVP, 2022 NLCS MVP, made the All-Star team twice and earned Silver Slugger honors three times.
Tatis inked his contract when he was just 22 years old in 2021. The deal, which is far from the only long-term commitment on San Diego’s books, will take him through the 2034 season, at which point he will be 35. Since his extension, he has made the All-Star team twice and has been awarded one Gold Glove and one Silver Slugger award.
Lindor was the face of the Cleveland franchise but was traded and agreed to an extension with the Mets in 2021. The deal is through the 2031 season, but his contract is set up with $50 million in deferred money due to him in $5 million annual payments from 2032 to 2041. Since his extension, he has been named the 2024 NL MVP runner-up and also won two Silver Slugger awards.
After signing a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres in 2019 free agency, Machado re-upped with San Diego for a jaw-dropping $350 million in 2023. Machado will be 41 years old by the time the last year of the deal arrives. He has been named a Silver Slugger one time since his extension.
Before 2022, Judge bet on himself. Then the slugger made history and blasted an AL-record 62 homers and secured his $360 million deal. The deal will take him through the 2031 season, at which point he’ll be 39. Since his extension, he won the 2024 AL MVP, made the All-Star team twice and recorded the highest OPS+ by a right-handed hitter in MLB history in 2024 (225).
After being traded from the Red Sox in 2020, Betts signed a 12-year extension with an MLB-record $65 million signing bonus. Betts helped deliver a World Series title that very year, won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger honors, and was the NL MVP runner-up. Since his extension started in 2021, he has been named to the All-Star team four times, won another Gold Glove in 2022, added three more Silver Slugger awards and finished in the top five of MVP voting twice.
Trout signed this deal in 2019, and it extends through the 2030 season, at which point he’ll be 39. From 2019 to 2024, he missed 417 out of a possible 870 games due to injuries, but since his extension, he has still amassed four All-Star selections, won the 2019 AL MVP and was named a Silver Slugger three times.
Guerrero became the latest player to join this list in early April, when he agreed to a 14-year, $500 million extension with the Blue Jays. The four-time All-Star first baseman had initially indicated he wouldn’t sign an extension with Toronto at the start of spring training and would become a free agent at season’s end. That changed, though, when the Blue Jays gave the 26-year-old the third-largest contract in MLB history, which included zero deferred money.
Guerrero has been one of the game’s best sluggers since he was called up in 2019. While he hasn’t matched the career numbers he put up in 2021 (1.002 OPS, 48 home runs, 111 RBIs), he’s hit at least 25 homers and 90s RBIs in each of the last three seasons.
The deal is also nearly four times the amount of money Guerrero Jr.’s father, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, made over his MLB career ($129 million, per Spotrac).
After spending the first six seasons of his MLB career with the Angels, Ohtani signed a record-breaking contract in December 2023 to remain in Southern California and play for the Dodgers. The deal, which includes $680 million deferred, will end after Ohtani turns 39. Though he didn’t pitch in his first season with the Dodgers, he helped them win the World Series and became the first MLB player to hit at least 50 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in a season.
Ohtani has won three unanimous MVP awards (only player to win unanimously multiple times) and was the only AL pitcher in 2022 with at least 130 innings pitched to hold opponents to a batting average under .200.
Prior to Ohtani, the most homers hit by a player with 10 or more wins as a pitcher was 11 by Babe Ruth in 1918. Ohtani hit 34 home runs in 2022 while winning 15 games, and had 44 dingers and 10 wins in 2023.
Soto’s 15-year deal topped Tatis’ 14-year extension as the longest in MLB history. It also became the largest contract, topping Ohtani’s. A five-time Silver Slugger and four-time All-Star, Soto will be 41 years old the next time he’s set to be a free agent.
Soto, the 2020 batting champion, boasts three top-five finishes in MVP voting. He has led the league in walks three times, in on-base percentage twice and in slugging and OPS once.
Check out all of our Daily Rankers.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Major League Baseball
Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Yankees
–>
recommended
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
This news was originally published on this post .
Be the first to leave a comment