The longest contracts in baseball history
When Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a 14-year extension value $340 million with the Padres in 2021, it set a brand new normal for the longest pact in MLB historical past.
Here’s a have a look at every of those offers in reverse chronological order based mostly on the 12 months every contract will run by means of.
Carlos Correa, SS, Giants: 13 years, $350 million (2023-2035)
After dropping out within the Aaron Judge sweepstakes, the Giants continued to swing large and landed essentially the most coveted shortstop prize on the 2022 free-agent market. Correa’s deal is the biggest for a shortstop by total worth, surpassing Francisco Lindor’s 10-year, $341 million pact with the Mets, and solely trails Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 14-year deal by way of years.
The Mariners and J-Rod finalized a large extension that assured the rookie star at the least 13 years and $210 million, however with a membership choice, might max out at 18 years and $470 million. Currently, the biggest contract in MLB historical past by whole worth is Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million extension with the Angels in 2019. The base wage of Rodríguez’s deal is $120 million over eight years, after which the membership can train an choice of both eight or 10 years that may push the full worth to between $320 million and $470 million, relying on the place he finishes in MVP voting in the course of the first eight years. If Seattle was to say no its membership choice after the primary eight-year time period, Rodríguez would have a participant choice for 5 years and $90 million.
Tatis wasn’t set to turn out to be a free agent till after the 2024 season and wasn’t even eligible for arbitration at simply 22 years of age, however San Diego clearly noticed that it wanted to make sure that he stayed a Padre for greater than a decade to come back. His extension, agreed upon as pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training, kicked in instantly for 2021 and reportedly comprises a no-trade clause — one other sign that he is not going wherever. The Dominican native positioned fourth within the ’20 National League MVP Award vote and had already racked up 39 profession homers when he agreed to the extension, essentially the most by any major shortstop inside his first 150 profession video games.
After 4 All-Star seasons and two World Series championships with the Red Sox, Bogaerts landed a take care of San Diego that was almost an identical to the deal fellow star free agent shortstop Trea Turner struck with the Phillies (11 years and $300 million) a few days earlier.
Less than 24 hours after reportedly lacking out on the largest free agent of all of them, Aaron Judge, who reached reported nine-year, $360 million deal to stay with the Yankees, the Padres continued to flex their monetary muscle and continued to indicate they’re critical about competing with the Dodgers for supremacy within the NL West only a few months after buying and selling for celebrity proper fielder Juan Soto.
Trea Turner, SS, Phillies: 11 years, $300 million (2023-33)
Hitting the open market after back-to-back All-Star seasons, Turner struck the fifth free-agent deal of $300 million or extra and the twentieth total contract (together with FA signings and extensions) of 10-plus years in MLB historical past.
The deal reunites Turner with Bryce Harper, his teammate with the Nationals earlier than Harper left to signal his personal megadeal with the Phils after the 2018 season. With Turner as certainly one of its centerpieces, Washington went on to win a World Series title the next 12 months. Turner was dealt to the Dodgers with Max Scherzer on the 2021 Trade Deadline. Now, he’ll purpose to assist Philadelphia recover from the hump after the Phils misplaced to the Astros within the 2022 Fall Classic.
Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers: 12 years, $365 million (2021-2032)
The Red Sox traded Betts and southpaw David Price to the Dodgers in a blockbuster deal following the 2019 season, largely as a result of many anticipated Betts to check the free-agent market following the ‘20 campaign and challenge the standards set by Harper, Trout and Machado. But Los Angeles’ entrance workplace was in a position to hammer out a large extension proper because the shortened ‘20 season began, adding on to the record one-year, $27 million contract that Betts and the Red Sox agreed to in January of ’20 in order to avoid arbitration. Betts’ extension marked essentially the most cash given out by the Dodgers in a single contract, surpassing the $215 million extension that Clayton Kershaw signed in ’14. Betts’ addition paid rapid dividends. He was instrumental in main Los Angeles to the ’20 World Series championship — the franchise’s first since 1988.
Franco’s contract set a document for the biggest deal in Rays historical past, surpassing the six-year, $100 million pact Evan Longoria signed after the 2012 season. It’s additionally the biggest deal in Major League Baseball historical past for a participant with lower than a 12 months of service time. Franco made his MLB debut in 2021 and posted a .288 common with seven homers and a 129 OPS+ over 70 video games for the Rays, ending third within the American League Rookie of the Year Award race. His season included a 43-game on-base streak, tying Franco with Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (1956) for the longest in AL/NL historical past by a participant 20 years outdated or youthful.
Bryce Harper, OF, Phillies: 13 years, $330 million (2019-31)
Harper’s contract was tied for the longest in MLB historical past earlier than Tatis’ extension, and it’s essentially the most cash and years given to any free agent in North American skilled sports activities historical past. He has slugged .556 and clubbed 83 homers throughout his first three years with the Phillies, although the membership remains to be trying to return to the postseason. Harper’s deal shattered Phillies data for free-agent contracts — the staff’s prior longest FA deal was six years (Jim Thome), and the very best whole worth they’d given a free agent was $120 million (Cliff Lee).
Lindor had one 12 months remaining earlier than free company when the Mets acquired the celebrity shortstop together with right-hander Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland in a six-player commerce on Jan. 7, 2021. After months of negotiations, New York made sure that Lindor wouldn’t be making an early exit from Queens, inking him to a contract on the eve of Opening Day. The deal tacked on 10 years and $341 million to his present $22.3 million contract for 2021.
After seven seasons with the Dodgers that included an NL Rookie of the Year Award, two NL Silver Slugger Awards, two All-Star picks, an NLCS MVP Award and a World Series MVP Award, Seager left Los Angeles to ink one of many largest free-agent contracts in baseball historical past with the Rangers. Texas’ take care of Seager got here a day after the staff reached a seven-year contract with one other star infielder, Marcus Semien.
Mike Trout, OF, Angels: 10 years, $360 million (2021-30)
Trout was set to turn out to be a free agent after the 2020 season, however his extension was added to the 2 years and $66.5 million that have been nonetheless remaining on the six-year contract he signed in ’14. As a outcome, some view his new contract as a 12-year, $426.5 million pact. Even if the prevailing cash isn’t included, Trout’s $360 million extension was the richest deal in North American skilled sports activities historical past on the time he signed.
Machado set the document for the biggest free-agent contract in sports activities historical past together with his 10-year, $300 million deal — which Harper broke simply weeks later. Prior to Machado’s deal, the Padres had given out only one $100 million contract in franchise historical past — $144 million to Eric Hosmer getting into the 2018 season.
Stanton’s extension set a document for longest contract in MLB historical past, and on the time represented the biggest whole worth as nicely, however he was not a free agent on the time. He performed three seasons with the Marlins in the course of the deal earlier than being traded to the Yankees in December 2017 after successful the NL MVP Award. Stanton selected to not invoke the opt-out clause in his contract after the ’20 season, making certain that he’ll keep in pinstripes some time longer.
Canó was 31 at first of his 10-year contract with the Mariners, and he’d already compiled 45.5 WAR (per Baseball Reference) over the course of a nine-year profession to that time. Canó earned All-Star picks in three of his first 4 seasons with Seattle, however he was suspended for 80 video games in 2018 after testing optimistic for a banned substance, and the membership traded him to the Mets with nearer Edwin Díaz for a five-player bundle that offseason. After one other PED suspension value Canó all of 2021, the Mets launched him in 2022.
Joey Votto, 1B, Reds: 10 years, $225 million (2014-23)
Votto signed a 10-year extension simply previous to Opening Day 2012, which kicked in for the 2014 season. Votto led the NL in OBP in three of the primary seven years of the deal, and he had a resurgent season in 2021, producing 36 homers with a .938 OPS over 129 video games. Votto might be 39 years outdated for almost all of the ultimate 12 months of the contract (he’ll flip 40 in September of that 12 months).
Pujols’ 11 years in St. Louis ended with him signing a 10-year take care of the Angels getting into the 2012 season. Pujols had simply completed a seven-year span the place he’d hit .326 with a 1.037 OPS, 285 HR and received three National League MVP Awards. He acquired MVP votes in two of the primary seven seasons with the Angels, however his manufacturing dwindled and he was launched in 2021 earlier than signing with the Dodgers. Pujols made a storybook return to the Cardinals in 2022 and went on to hit his 700th house run in September.
Rodriguez opted out of his 10-year, $252 million contract in October 2007, and two months later the Yankees re-signed him for 10 years and $275 million. At the time, it was the biggest contract in MLB historical past, eclipsing his personal document set together with his earlier contract. Rodriguez retired in the course of the 2016 season, earlier than the 10-year contract was up.
Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees: 10 years, $189 million (2001-10)
After Jeter had been a part of three straight World Series-winning groups and having received 4 in his profession to that time, the Yankees gave him a 10-year extension getting into the 2001 season. His greatest MVP end got here in 2006 when he completed second to Justin Morneau. He retired following the 2014 season and was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first poll in 2020.
Rodriguez’s first 10-year contract set the document for richest contract in MLB historical past, besting Mike Hampton’s eight-year, $121 million contract signed earlier that offseason. Rodriguez hit .309 with a .934 OPS and 189 homers within the first seven years of his profession, all with the Mariners. He was traded to the Yankees following the 2003 season and received two MVP Awards in New York (2005 and 2007), serving to them win the 2009 World Series.
At the time, Winfield’s contract with the Yankees was the richest in historical past. Winfield didn’t play out the whole lot of the contract with the Yankees, lacking your complete 1989 season with damage and ultimately being traded to the Angels in the course of the 1990 season. Winfield had completed third in MVP voting in 1979 with the Padres, however his greatest such end with the Yankees was fourth in ’88.
Richie Zisk, OF, Rangers: 10 years, $2.75 million (1978-1987)
This was the primary 10-year contract given to a place participant, although he solely spent three years in Texas earlier than he was traded to Seattle following the 1980 season in an 11-player deal that included the notorious Mario Mendoza heading again to Texas. The Rangers signed Zisk for 10 years and $2.75 million. Zisk additionally didn’t play out the complete size of his deal, and amassed a complete of 6.7 WAR (per Baseball Reference) in his remaining seven seasons after signing it.
Wayne Garland, RHP, Guardians: 10 years, $2.3 million (1977-1986)
Garland was a part of MLB’s first free-agent class, nevertheless it wasn’t the free company you understand as we speak, because it was tied to a re-entry draft (extra on that right here). The most well-known deal that offseason was Reggie Jackson’s five-year, $3 million take care of the Yankees, however Garland’s contract holds the excellence of being the primary the 10-year contract given out by an MLB staff. In 1976, he had a profession 12 months, going 20-7 with a 2.67 ERA for the Orioles and parlaying that into this historic deal. However, he appeared in simply 99 video games between ’77 and ’81, not even enjoying out the whole lot of the contract attributable to a career-ending torn rotator cuff.
