Baseball's Milestone Contracts

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Feb 24, 2014

Baseball's Milestone Contracts

Honus Wagner: $10,000

Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Born 140 years ago on Feb. 24, 1874, Honus Wagner was a member of the first class at Cooperstown and winner of eight NL batting titles. He was also the first player to sign a milestone contract (at the time). Just before the 1908 season, Honus Wagner planned to retire ... until Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss doubled his salary. Wagner was paid $10,000 per season from 1908 until he retired in 1917, when the average individual income in America was $807.

Babe Ruth: $50,000

March 5, 1922: The Yankees sign Babe Ruth to a three-year deal for a record $52,000 per season. The Bambino made more salary headlines in 1930, when he became the first player to earn more money than the president: Ruth earned $80,000 to President Herbert Hoover's $75,000. When asked about it, Ruth replied, "What's Hoover gotta do with it? I had a better year than he did."

Hank Greenberg: $100,00

Jan. 18, 1947: Talked out of retirement by Pirates owner John Galbreath, Pittsburgh bought Greenberg from the Tigers for $75,000 and agreed to make him the first $100,000 player. Greenberg hit the final 25 homers of his career and tutored prospect Ralph Kiner.

Hank Aaron: $200,000

Feb. 29, 1972: Hank Aaron signs a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves that pays him $200,000 per year, making him the highest-paid player in baseball.

Catfish Hunter: $750,000

Dec. 31, 1974: The Yankees sign Jim "Catfish" Hunter to a five-year, $3.75 million contract. This is triple the salary of any other major league player. More significantly, the deal illuminated the potential of free agency for superstar players and teams that could afford them.

Nolan Ryan: $1 million

Nov. 19, 1979: The Astros sign free agent Nolan Ryan to a four-year, $4.5 million contract, making him the first to average more than $1 million a season.

Dave Winfield: $1.5 million

Dec. 15, 1980: Dave Winfield becomes the highest-paid player in baseball when he signs a 10-year, $15 million contract with the Yankees. It is the first eight-figure deal for a player in major league history.

George Foster: $2 million

Feb. 7, 1982: The Mets make George Foster the first $2 million per year player when they sign him to a five-year, $10.2 million contract.

Kirby Puckett: $3 million

Nov. 22, 1989: With a three-year, $9 million deal, the Twins make Kirby Puckett the game's highest-paid player -- for about a week. Rickey Henderson, Mark Langston and Mark Davis signed deals of equal or greater value before Opening Day.

Jose Canseco: $4 million

June 28, 1990: The Oakland A's raise the salary bar when they sign Jose Canseco to a five-year, $23.5 million extension that yields $4.7 million per season.

Roger Clemens: $5 million

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

Feb. 8, 1991: Roger Clemens' four-year, $21.5 million extension to remain with the Red Sox was surpassed before Opening Day (by Ryne Sandberg), but The Rocket was the first to reach and exceed $5 million per year.

Albert Belle: $10 million

Nov. 19, 1996: The White Sox sign Albert Belle to a five-year, $55 million contract. Belle's average annual salary of $11 million is $2.5 million than the next highest-paid player (Ken Griffey Jr., $8,500,000).

Kevin Brown: $15 million

Dec. 12, 1998: Kevin Brown signs a seven-year, $105 million contract with the Dodgers, sending shock waves throughout baseball. It's MLB's first nine-figure deal.

Alex Rodriguez: $25 million

Dec. 11, 2000: The Rangers lured Alex Rodriguez from the Mariners with a monster 10-year, $252 million deal. Traded to the Yankees in 2004, A-Rod opted out of that contract after the 2007 season and signed a 10-year, $275 million deal to remain in pinstripes through 2017.

Baseball's Milestone Contracts