Here are the largest free-agent contracts in MLB history
We’ve seen some large free-agent offers signed in latest offseasons, however Aaron Judge set a brand new customary when he reached a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees (per a supply) on the 2022 Winter Meetings.
The earlier report for the most important free-agent deal in MLB historical past belonged to Bryce Harper, who signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies in 2019.
Judge’s $40 million common annual worth can be the very best for a place participant and third-highest general for an MLB free agent.
Here are the ten largest contracts MLB free brokers have ever obtained, each by whole worth and common annual worth.
(Note: These do not embody contract extensions the place the participant did not truly turn into a free agent, just like the 12-year, $426.5 million extension Mike Trout signed with the Angels on March 20, 2019.)
1) Aaron Judge, Yankees: 9 years, $360 million (2023-31) (per supply)
Judge guess on himself when he declined the Yankees’ $213.5 million extension provide shortly earlier than Opening Day in 2022, and it paid off in an enormous means. The 6-foot-7 outfielder had arguably the best free-agent stroll 12 months of all time, profitable the AL MVP Award after setting an AL report with 62 homers and flirting with the Triple Crown. Despite critical overtures from the hometown Giants, Judge opted to return to the Yankees and set one other report within the course of, reaching the most important free-agent contract, by way of whole worth, in MLB historical past.
2) Bryce Harper, Phillies: 13 years, $330 million (2019-31)
Harper’s impending free company outlined his closing season with the Nationals and dominated headlines all the best way into the second week of Spring Training video games, and plenty of components collaborated alongside the best way to get Bryce to the highest of this checklist. At the time, his deal was the most important free-agent contract within the historical past of the 4 main North American skilled sports activities. Harper gained his second profession National League MVP Award in 2021 and led the Phillies to a World Series look in 2022, incomes NLCS MVP honors alongside the best way.
3) Corey Seager, Rangers: 10 years, $325 million (2022-31)
Seager earned his historic deal on the heels of slashing .306/.394/.521 with 16 residence runs, 57 RBIs and a .915 OPS in 95 video games for the Dodgers in 2021. That got here one 12 months after ending ninth in 2020 National League MVP voting and incomes MVP honors in each the NLCS and World Series en path to Los Angeles’ title run. Along together with his pair of postseason MVP Awards, Seager was additionally the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year and he was a two-time All-Star earlier than signing his historic deal on the age of 27.
4) Gerrit Cole, Yankees: 9 years, $324 million (2020-28)
With Cole’s deal setting a report for pitchers, each of the highest two free-agent offers by whole worth got to No. 1 general picks. Cole was taken first general by the Pirates in 2011, whereas Harper was first general in ‘10. Cole’s 9 years are additionally the second most for any pitcher contract, trailing solely Wayne Garland’s 10-year contract within the Nineteen Seventies, in a far completely different period of free company.
5T) Manny Machado, Padres: 10 years, $300 million (2019-28)
Machado holds the excellence as being the primary $300 million free agent in MLB historical past with the deal he inked with San Diego. An elite offense/protection two-way participant, Machado completed among the many high three within the NL MVP race twice over his first 4 seasons with San Diego and led the membership to a 2022 NLCS look.
5T) Trea Turner, Phillies: 11 years, $300 million (2023-33) (per supply)
On the heels of a World Series look in 2022, the Phillies reeled in one other large free-agent fish and crammed their gap at shortstop by hanging a $300 million take care of Turner, reuniting the speedster together with his good pal and former Nationals teammate, Harper.
It marked the second straight offseason the Dodgers noticed a shortstop go away their staff in free company for a contract price not less than $300 million with one other membership, as Turner adopted Seager out the door. A two-time All-Star and 2019 World Series champion with the Nats, Turner hit .298 with 21 homers and 27 steals for the Dodgers in 2022.
7) Xander Bogaerts, Padres: 11 years, $280 million (2023-33) (per supply)
Bogaerts really started fulfilling the potential the Red Sox noticed in him once they signed him as a 16-year-old out of Aruba when he had a breakout season in 2018. From 2018-22, the four-time All-Star slashed .301/.373/.508 with 105 homers whereas racking up 23.3 Baseball Reference wins above substitute for Boston.
Bogaerts’ most interesting season up to now got here in 2019, when he posted a .939 OPS with 33 homers and 117 RBIs. But after profitable two World Series championships with the Red Sox, the 30-year-old shortstop landed a large take care of the Padres as San Diego continued a pattern of constructing main acquisitions to win a World Series title of its personal.
8) Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: 10 years, $275 million (2008-17)
In the center of Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, introduced that A-Rod can be opting out of the ultimate three years of his contract with the Yankees. (This was the contract he had initially signed with the Rangers previous to the ’01 season, which carried over to New York when he was traded in ’04.) The timing created a torrent of controversy, and it appeared like Rodriguez’s tenure with the Yankees was over. Rodriguez would later name the opt-out a “huge debacle” and a “mistake that was handled extremely poorly.”
Seeking to restore the connection and re-open negotiations, A-Rod approached the Yankees by a Goldman Sachs managing director, and the 2 sides have been in a position to work out a brand new deal in mid-December. That deal was the richest free-agent contract in MLB historical past. Rodriguez would go on to steer the Bronx Bombers to their twenty seventh World Series championship in 2009. “All along,” A-Rod stated after reaching his new deal, “I knew I wanted to be a Yankee.”
9) Alex Rodriguez, Rangers: 10 years, $252 million (2001-10)
Rodriguez’s first free-agent megadeal — the one he signed with the Rangers earlier than the 2001 season — ranks proper behind his one with the Yankees. It pried him away from the Mariners at age 25, and on the time utterly shattered the report for the most important free-agent contract, greater than doubling Mike Hampton’s $121 million take care of the Rockies that had been accomplished simply days earlier than Rodriguez’s settlement was reached. In reality, it additionally doubled the most important skilled sports activities contract to that time, Kevin Garnett’s $126 million contract with the NBA’s Timberwolves signed in 1997.
A-Rod performed solely the primary three seasons of that contract in Texas earlier than he was traded to the Yankees, however for his half, he lived as much as the deal. Rodriguez averaged 52 residence runs and 132 RBIs with the Rangers — main the American League in homers all three years — with a 1.011 OPS from 2001-03. He gained the AL MVP Award in ’03. Rodriguez saved up the tempo after he was traded to New York, profitable two extra MVP Awards in ’05 and ’07 (though his postseason struggles at instances brought on plenty of consternation amongst Yankees followers).
10t) Anthony Rendon, Angels: 7 years, $245 million (2020-26)
Rendon was thought of the very best place participant on the free-agent market after the 2019 season, and he acquired paid prefer it. He turned simply the sixth participant to be an All-Star for a staff that gained the World Series, then go away in free company that offseason. Rendon’s $35 million common annual worth is the very best ever for a 3rd baseman.
10t) Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: 7 years, $245 million (2020-26)
When Strasburg opted out of his present contract after profitable the 2019 World Series, he nonetheless had $100 million resulting from him over 4 years. It turned out to be a extremely profitable choice. While Strasburg gave the impression to be removed from sure to decide out when the season started, he proceeded to provide arguably his most interesting 12 months, main the NL in innings (209) and wins (18), posting a 3.32 ERA and 251 strikeouts whereas ending fifth within the Cy Young Award race. He then put collectively one of many extra spectacular postseason runs in historical past, culminating in a World Series MVP Award. Unfortunately for the Nats, Strasburg has made simply eight begins and recorded a 6.89 ERA by the primary three years of his seven-year contract.
Total worth is not the one means to take a look at participant contracts, because the size of the deal additionally issues. Here’s a listing of the most important MLB free-agent contracts by the quantity they have been price per 12 months.
Top 10 free-agent contracts by common annual worth
1t. Max Scherzer, Mets: $43,333,333 (2022-24)
1t. Justin Verlander, Mets: $43,333,333 (2023-24) (per supply)
3. Aaron Judge, Yankees: $40 million (2023-31) (per supply)
4. Jacob deGrom, Rangers: $37 million (2023-27)
5. Gerrit Cole, Yankees: $36 million (2020-28)
6t. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: $35 million (2020-26)
6t. Anthony Rendon, Angels: $35 million (2020-26)
8. Trevor Bauer, Dodgers: $34 million (2021-23)
9. Zack Greinke, D-backs: $34,416,666 (2016-21)
10. Corey Seager, Rangers: $32.5 million (2022-31)
