Sports

Biggest contracts in North American team sports: Soto tops the list of players with $300 million in revenue


It only took one year for Juan Soto to set a new record for the largest contract in sports history. It’s anyone’s guess how long it will be before his deal with the Mets is through.

Soto’s 15-year, $765 million agreement did not include any deferred money, making him worth about $300 million more than Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million agreement with the Dodgers.

Over the years, athletes’ salaries have skyrocketed amid billion-dollar television deals. In 1979, Nolan Ryan became the first professional athlete to earn $1 million in a season when he signed with the Astros. Now, dozens of NFL players earn more than $1 million per game, while the highest-paid NBA players approach that number for a single day’s work.

But the largest total contract values ​​are primarily those of baseball players. Soto became the 17th player in the four North American professional sports leagues to receive a deal worth at least $300 million. 15 of them are in MLB. Interestingly, every player who signed a $300 million deal is still active.

Here is the full list.

(Note: These values ​​are based on data from Spotrac.com)

1. Juan Soto: 15 years, $765 million, New York Mets

  • The contract reportedly contains escalators that raise the value to more than $800 million.
  • Its average annual value of $51 million ranks 25th among the four major sports leagues.

2. Shuhei Otani: 10 years, $700 million, Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Its average annual value of $70 million is the largest among the four major sports leagues.
  • $680 million of the contract has been deferred, with annual payments of $68 million beginning in 2034, reducing the current value of the deal to $460,814,760.

3. Patrick Mahomes: 10 years, $450 million, Kansas City Chiefs

  • Mahomes has restructured his contract on several occasions. It was restructured in 2023 to earn $208.1 million between the 2023 and 2026 seasons. The restructuring took place again during the 2024 season to help the team create enough space.

4. Mike Trout: 12 years, $426.5 million, Los Angeles Angels

  • The contract was the largest in North American sports history at the time of signing in March 2019.
  • His average annual value of $35.4 is currently tied for eighth in baseball.

5. Mookie Betts: 12 years, $365 million, Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Betts agreed to an extension a few months after being traded to the Dodgers in 2020.
  • His average annual value of $30.4 million is the 16th highest in the league.

6. Aaron the judge: 9 years, $360 million, New York Yankees

  • Judge’s nine-year deal is the largest in Yankees history, as he rejects larger offers through the 2022-23 season.
  • His average annual value of $40 million is the fourth highest in MLB.

7. Manny Machado: 11 years, $350 million, San Diego Padres

  • Machado agreed to an extension in February 2023, four years after signing a 10-year, $300 million deal to join the organization.
  • Its average annual value of $31.8 million is the 14th highest among the majors.

8. Francisco Lindor: 10 years, $341 million, New York Mets

  • Lindor agreed to an extension less than three months after being traded to the Mets in 2021.
  • His average annual value of $34.1 million is the 10th highest in MLB.

9. Fernando Tatis Jr : 14 years, $340 million, San Diego Padres

  • Tatis agreed to an extension before the 2021 season after his second year in the league, making it the third-largest contract in MLB history at the time.
  • His average annual value of $24.3 million is top 40 in MLB.

10. Bryce Harper: 13 years, $330 million, Philadelphia Phillies

  • Harper’s contract was the largest in MLB history when he was signed as a free agent in March 2019, and he held that record for just a few weeks.
  • His average annual value of $25.4 million is top 30 in MLB.

T11. Giancarlo Stanton: 13 years, $325 million, New York Yankees

  • Stanton signed the extension while he was with the Miami Marlins after his 37-home-run season in 2014, making him the highest-paid player in baseball at the time.
  • His average annual value of $25 million is tied for 33rd highest in baseball.

T11. Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 12 years, $325 million, Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Yamamoto’s contract is the largest ever for an MLB player, breaking the previous record by $1 million.
  • His average annual value of $27.1 million is top 20 in MLB.

T11. Corey Seager: 10 years, $325 million, Texas Rangers

  • Seager’s contract is the largest ever for a shortstop in free agency.
  • His average annual value of $32.5 million is tied for 12th in the MLB.

14. Gerrit Cole: 9 years, $324 million, New York Yankees

  • Cole’s contract was the largest ever for an MLB player at the time of signing in December 2019.
  • His average annual value of $36 million was also the highest in MLB at the time of the deal. It is ranked seventh in baseball now.

15. Jayson Tatum: 5 years, $313.9 million, Boston Celtics

  • Tatum’s extension, which he signed in July 2024, is the largest contract in NBA history.
  • His average annual value of $62.8 million is third highest among the four major professional leagues.

16. Rafael Devers: 10 years, $313.5 million, Boston Red Sox

  • Devers’ extension, which he signed in January 2023, is the largest contract in Red Sox history.
  • His average annual value of $31.4 million is the 15th highest in MLB.

17. Trea Turner: 11 years, $300 million, Philadelphia Phillies

  • Turner’s extension made the Phillies the first team ever to sign players from other teams to $300 million deals in free agency.
  • His average annual value of $27.3 million is No. 17 on the MLB list.

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