The 10 Biggest Contracts in MLB History

Here’s where Mike Trout and Aaron Judge rank in the top 10 list of the most paid MLB players in history.

With two of the biggest MLB contracts of all-time being signed this week during free agency, the list of the top 10 highest-paid baseball players of all time is now made up entirely of current players.

Angels center fielder Mike Trout’s contract he signed in 2019 still blows the other contracts out of the water as he earns $61.5 million more than Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, who ranks second on the list.

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge officially took the third spot on Wednesday when he signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees. This makes his contract the biggest a free agent has earned in MLB history, as the two deals ahead of him were extensions signed when Trout and Betts were still under contract with their respective teams.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest contracts in MLB history, according to Spotrac.

1. Mike Trout, OF, Angels: 12 years, $426.5 million through 2031
2. Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers: 12 years, $365 million through 2033
3. Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees: nine years, $360 million through 2032
4. Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets: 10 years, $341 million through 2032
5. Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres: 14 years, $340 million through 2035
6. Bryce Harper, OF, Phillies: 13 years, $330 million through 2032
T-7. Giancarlo Stanton, DH, Yankees: 13 years, $325 million through 2029
T-7. Corey Seager, SS, Rangers: 10 years, $325 million through 2032
9. Gerrit Cole, SP, Yankees: nine years, $324 million through 2029
T-10. Manny Machado, 3B, Padres: 10 years, $300 million through 2029
T-10. Trea Turner, SS, Phillies: 11 years, $300 million through 2034

With Judge’s contract and Trea Turner’s contract with the Phillies just being signed in the last week, the last expired contract in the top 10, Alex Rodriguez’s 10-year, $275 million deal with the Yankees that ran from 2008-17 fell to spot No. 12. Rodriguez also holds the No. 14 spot with a $252 million free agent contract he signed with the Rangers in 2000.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.