The ten highest-paid Major League Baseball superstars have collectively doubled the overall yearly salary record in 2021. In 2020, $152 million was earned amongst the top-ten most significant contracts, but a considerable slew of contracts handed out has driven those salaries to an all-time high of $357 million. The New York Yankees and the New York Mets are responsible for some of these lavish contracts; let’s dig deeper into colossal paycheques New York’s finest are picking up.
Francisco Lindor| New York Mets|$43.3 million
Ahead of this season’s Opening Day, the New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor inked a contract that completed MLB’s third most lucrative deal.
Lindor signed a 10 year/ $341,000,000 contract with the Mets, including a $21 million signing bonus and an annual average salary of $34 million. His base salary of $22 million in 2021 will rise to $32 million in 2022, including a signing bonus of $2 million every year.
$50,000,000 is deferred, and this amount will be paid out in $5 million lump sums starting in 2032. And although his contract isn’t baseball’s biggest deal, the four-time All-Star will break MLB signing records with the pact. His signing bonus represents the largest in history, as is the $43.3 million one-year tally.
Lindor’s bonus and salary exceeded that of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, who should earn $38 million by the end of 2021, the previous one-year high. The only athletes to make more in North American team sports within twelve months are a select few NFL quarterbacks. Do you think Lindor could spare some change for my live MLB odds?
Gerrit Cole| New York Yankees|$43.3 million
New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole had a dominant stint with Houston Astros which landed him a 10-year deal for $341,000,000 in NY. And despite a prorated salary cut that saw his 2020 salary drop from $36 million to $13.3M, all was resumed for 2021, where a $32 million base salary was continued. With luxury tax included, Cole will take home $34.1 million in 2022.
Even with Cole’s salary hit in 2020, he’s still one of the wealthiest players in Major League Baseball. So rich that he made more money than the entire Pittsburgh Pirates roster in 2020. The prorated salaries dropped the Pirates total earnings to $12.1M total, as the former Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole walked away with $13.3M. Secure your cheap World Series Tickets to partake in the captivating matchups and fierce rivalry on the grandest stage of baseball’s pinnacle event.
More than 50% of the Pittsburgh 30-man team will make less than $600,000 in 2020, whereas Cole made more than that for every game he pitches.
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Jacob deGrom| New York Mets|$43.3 million
The Mets took a heavy blow to their roster when starting pitcher Jacob deGrom missed the final three months of the 2021 campaign. However, this doesn’t alter the significant amount of money and the life-changing contract he’d previously signed.
deGrom signed a 5-year/$137,500,000 contract with the Mets, with a $10M signing bonus and an average salary of $27.5M.
With that said, despite the technicalities with deGrom’s contract showing a deal keeping him around until 2023, a stipulation to opt-out after the 2022 season could take effect. Should the star pitcher survive an injury-free season next term and pitch to the best of his ability, he’s going to exercise this clause. It would be financially irresponsible to make any other decision.
Giancarlo Stanton| New York Yankees|$29 million
Giancarlo Stanton is making humungous amounts of money; his $325M contract handed out by the Miami Marlins in 2014 has been surpassed on multiple occasions. In 2021, Stanton made a $29M base salary, and this number will be replicated should the Yankee’s require his services. But that’s a question yet to be answered.
Can the New York Yankee’s afford Stanton when such a fruitful deal was handed to Gerrit Cole? Is he worth it? Some suggest that Stanton is the most overpaid athlete in the entire MLB.
These suggestions stem from his on-pitch numbers; he’s yet to surpass his 6.8 fWAR 2014 season since being traded to the Yankees. His most notable season in New York was 2018, where he delivered a 4.3 WAR. Fans have noticed his decline while earning more than maybe what’s deserved.
In saying that, he’s undoubtedly been a streaky player during his career at the Yankees, but his 2021 performance displayed a level of resiliency that most of their roster cannot. His future is uncertain, and the Yankees are known for disrupting their roster, but his value should remain at a similar number wherever his future endeavors occur.
