Two-way star of the Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani is the best player in Major League Baseball. He is a potential trade candidate before the deadline and poised to sign a historic and massive contract in free agency. The top teams in the league are expected to compete for Ohtani, leading to a fierce bidding war.
There is no precedent for Ohtani’s situation, and no one can guess the outcome. Some sources predict he will receive $500 million or more over 10 years or more, as well as several unsubscribe opportunities included in the contract.
Offering a player an opt-out clause has become common at the high end of the market. It allows players to decide whether they want to stay in a deal or test the free agent market at specific agreed-upon points.
Giving Ohtani a large contract with the option to re-enter the market if he isn’t satisfied would be the modern baseball equivalent of giving him a blank check..
The five biggest contracts ever
On December 11, 2000, Alex Rodriguez signed a contract worth $252 million playing for the Texas Rangers instead of staying with the Seattle Mariners, who were World Series contenders. The contract remains one of the 20 most profitable contracts in Major League Baseball history. Rodriguez broke his record with a $275 million deal with the New York Yankees in 2008and it wasn’t until 2019, when Bryce Harper signed a similar agreement, that the record was broken again.
If rumors are to be believed, Shohei Ohtani’s next contract could be worth over $500 million. If that is indeed the case, he would surpass Rodriguez and Harper to hold the record for the most valuable contract in Major League Baseball history, and not just theirs, but some of the other famous names on this list as well.
The five largest contracts in MLB history, in terms of total value:
- Mike Trout$426,500,000 (2019-30)
- Bets on Mookie$365,000,000 (2021-32)
- Aaron judges$360,000,000 (2023-31)
- Manny Machado$350,000,000 (2023-33)
- Francisco Lindor$341,000,000 (2022-31)
The five largest contracts ranked by their average annual net value.
- Max Scherzer$43,333,333 (2022-24)/Justin Verlander$43,333,333 (2023-24)
- Aaron judges$40,000,000 (2023-31)
- Jacob of Grom$37,000,000 (2023-27)
- Gerrit Cole$36,000,000 (2020-28)
