Jump to content

List of highest-paid Major League Baseball players

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 108.16.147.149 (talk) at 22:28, 5 December 2010 (→‎Career earnings). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Career earnings

The following chart lists the Major League Baseball players who have earned over $100 million total salary over their career (through the end of 2009 and not including bonuses).[1]

  1. $231,416,252 – Alex Rodriguez
  2. $188,245,322 – Barry Bonds (retired)
  3. $186,112,763 – Manny Ramírez
  4. $182,830,000 – Derek Jeter
  5. $175,550,019 – Randy Johnson (retired)
  6. $168,008,550 – Gary Sheffield (retired)
  7. $153,845,000 – Greg Maddux (retired)
  8. $149,353,682 – Ken Griffey, Jr. (retired)
  9. $147,259,585 – Pedro Martínez (retired)
  10. $144,533,619 – Mike Mussina (retired)
  11. $146,299,000 – Carlos Delgado
  12. $136,961,667 – Jim Thome
  13. $135,595,446 – John Smoltz (retired)
  14. $130,890,502 – Kevin Brown (retired)
  15. $128,639,293 – Tom Glavine(retired)
  16. $128,134,019 – Jeff Bagwell (retired)
  17. $129,058,996 – Jason Giambi
  18. $127,552,133 – Chipper Jones
  19. $126,000,000 - Jayson Werth
  20. $124,068,000 – Sammy Sosa (retired)
  21. $124,550,270 – Mike Hampton
  22. $121,001,000 – Roger Clemens (retired)
  23. $120,176,002 – Mike Piazza (retired)
  24. $116,573,932 – Iván Rodríguez
  25. $114,530,125 – Mariano Rivera
  26. $114,158,000 – Curt Schilling (retired)
  27. $113,582,416 – Andy Pettitte
  28. $113,540,000 – Todd Helton
  29. $112,430,000 – Vladimir Guerrero
  30. $110,363,431 – Larry Walker (retired)
  31. $105,644,770 – Magglio Ordonez
  32. $104,634,000 – Frank Thomas (retired)
  33. $103,100,001 – Bernie Williams (retired)
  34. $102,933,410 – Andruw Jones
  35. $100,616,066 – Shawn Green (retired)
  36. $100,405,001 – Mo Vaughn (retired)

2010 annual salaries

The following chart lists the top-twenty five highest paid players.

  1. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees- $ 33,000,000
  2. C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees- $ 24,285,714
  3. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees- $ 22,600,000
  4. Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees- $ 20,625,000
  5. Johan Santana, New York Mets- $ 20,144,707
  6. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers- $ 20,000,000
  7. Carlos Beltran, New York Mets- $ 19,401,569
  8. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies- $ 19,000,000
  9. Carlos Lee, Houston Astros- $ 19,000,000
  10. Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs- $ 19,000,000
  11. Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs- $ 18,875,000
  12. John Lackey, Boston Red Sox- $ 18,700,000
  13. Manny Ramirez, Chicago White Sox- $ 18,695,006
  14. Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels- $ 18,500,000
  15. Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants- $ 18,500,000
  16. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners- $ 18,000,000
  17. Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers- $ 17,825,976
  18. Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies- $ 17,775,000
  19. Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs- $ 16,750,000
  20. A.J. Burnett, New York Yankees- $ 16,500,000
  21. Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals- $ 16,333,327
  22. Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals- $ 15,840,971
  23. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies- $ 15,750,000
  24. Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays- $ 15,687,500
  25. Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers- $ 15,433,333

Source for 2010 salaries: USA Today

Annual salaries by year

The following chart reveals the evolution of the highest paid player in Major League Baseball. A player's yearly salary is considered to be for the maximum value of the contract divided by the term of the contract in years. 

YEAR    SALARY/YR  PLAYER             TEAM/ORGANIZATION
1927      $70,000  Babe Ruth          New York Yankees
1930      $80,000  Babe Ruth          New York Yankees
1949     $100,000  Ted Williams       Boston Red Sox
1966     $130,000  Willie Mays        San Francisco Giants
1972     $200,000  Hank Aaron         Atlanta Braves
1975     $740,000  Catfish Hunter     New York Yankees

Major League Baseball's reserve clause was struck down in 1976, beginning an era of free agency and thus market-value player contracts 

1979   $1,000,000  Nolan Ryan         Houston Astros
1981   $2,000,000  Dave Winfield      New York Yankees
1985   $2,130,300  Mike Schmidt       Philadelphia Phillies
1986   $2,800,000  George Foster      New York Mets
1990   $3,000,000  Rickey Henderson   Oakland Athletics
1991   $4,700,000  José Canseco       Oakland Athletics
1992   $5,800,000  Bobby Bonilla      New York Mets
1993   $5,975,000* Ryne Sandberg      Chicago Cubs
1995   $9,237,500  Cecil Fielder      Detroit Tigers
1997  $10,000,000  Albert Belle       Chicago White Sox
1998  $14,936,667  Gary Sheffield     Florida Marlins
2000  $15,714,286  Kevin Brown        Los Angeles Dodgers
2001  $22,000,000  Alex Rodriguez     Texas Rangers
2005  $26,000,000  Alex Rodriguez     New York Yankees
2009  $33,000,000  Alex Rodriguez     New York Yankees

*Ryne Sandberg's 1993 contract was originally for $7,100,000 per year, but he retired before the contract expired and forfeited the back-loaded end of the contract.

Largest contracts

Main article: largest sports contracts

The following chart lists the Major League Baseball players who have signed contracts worth $100 million or more (including bonuses, but not including options or buyouts).

Derek Jeter's, Todd Helton's, Albert Pujols', Vernon Wells', and Joe Mauer's contracts were extensions offered by their current teams, with Mauer's contract extension taking effect starting with the 2011 season. Ken Griffey, Jr. was traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Cincinnati Reds on February 10, 2000 and signed a contract extension with the Reds the same day. Johan Santana signed with the Mets after waiving his no-trade clause for the Twins. The remaining contracts were signed via free agency and involved the player moving to a new team.

Rank Player Team Length of Contract How signed Salary
1 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees 10 years (2008–2017) Free Agency after opting out of previous contract $275,000,000
2 Alex Rodriguez Texas Rangers* 10 years (2001–2010) Free agency $252,000,000
3 Derek Jeter New York Yankees 10 years (2001–2010) Contract extension $189,000,000
4 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins 8 years (2011–2018) Contract extension $184,000,000
5 Mark Teixeira New York Yankees 8 years (2009–2016) Free agency $180,000,000
6 CC Sabathia New York Yankees 7 years (2009–2015) Free agency $161,000,000
7 Manny Ramírez Boston Red Sox* 8 years (2001–2008) Free agency $160,000,000
8 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers 8 years (2008–2015) Contract extension $152,300,000
9 Todd Helton Colorado Rockies 11 years (2001–2011) Contract extension $141,500,000
10 Johan Santana New York Mets 6 years (2008–2013) Contract extension after acquisition from the Minnesota Twins $137,500,000
11 Alfonso Soriano Chicago Cubs 8 years (2007–2014) Free agency $136,000,000
12 Vernon Wells Toronto Blue Jays 7 years (2008–2014) Contract extension $126,000,000
13 Barry Zito San Francisco Giants 7 years (2007–2013) Free agency $126,000,000
14 Ryan Howard Philadelphia Phillies 5 years (2013–2017) Contract extension $125,000,000
15 Mike Hampton Colorado Rockies* 8 years (2001–2008) Free agency $121,000,000
16 Jason Giambi New York Yankees* 7 years (2002–2008) Free agency $120,000,000
17 Carlos Beltran New York Mets 7 years (2005–2011) Free agency $119,000,000
18 Ken Griffey, Jr. Cincinnati Reds* 9 years (2000–2008) Contract extension after acquisition from the Seattle Mariners $116,500,000
19 Kevin Brown Los Angeles Dodgers* 7 years (1999–2005) Free agency $105,000,000
20 Albert Pujols St. Louis Cardinals 7 years (2004–2010) Contract extension $100,000,000
21 Carlos Lee Houston Astros 6 years (2007–2012) Free agency $100,000,000
*- no longer playing for team

References

  1. ^ "Highest Career and Single-season Salaries". Retrieved March 4, 2010.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_highest-paid_Major_League_Baseball_players&oldid=400743454"