Fansided

Major League Baseball’s 30 richest active players

By Joshua Sadlock

Jun 20, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) hits a two run home run in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 20, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) hits a two run home run in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 30
Next

It’s no secret, Major League Baseball players make a ton of money, but which 30 are the richest?

With ever-rising television revenues, Major League Baseball offers its players a level of stability and wealth that none of the other professional sports leagues in America can. All contracts in Major League Baseball are fully guaranteed, and there is no hard salary cap. The average salary in the league has topped $4 million, and will creep closer to $5 million for the 2017 season.

Major League Baseball itself drew in over $10 billion in 2016, and the money just keeps rolling in. Baseball should be the sport of choice for the best young athletes if they are willing to think with their wallets alone — no danger of severe injury, longer careers, guaranteed contracts, no salary cap. Very few football players even top $100 million in career earnings, and most of them are quarterbacks.

As you will see on the following list, there are over 30 active players in baseball who have already made more than $100 million. Heck, there are two players outside the top-30 right now — David Price and Max Scherzer — who are in the early years of $200-million contracts. Further down the list, Edwin Jackson, with a career record of 93-114, has made over $80 million in the big leagues.

So, let’s jump into the list and see if we can’t convince any bright, young athletes to put down the football and grab a bat and glove. Here are the 30 richest active players in Major League Baseball.

Salary data provided courtesy of Spotrac. Salary totals do not include potential earnings for the 2017 season. These figures do not include potential earnings from endorsements and autograph sales.

30. Bartolo Colon, $101.8 million

The Ageless Wonder. Big Sexy. No matter what you want to call him, Bartolo Colon has enjoyed a very long and lucrative career in the big leagues. He made his debut in 1997, when many of the current stars coming up were still in diapers. In his first year in the big leagues, Colon made a paltry (by today’s standards) $150,000.

Colon’s has been an interesting career to say the least. He debuted with the Cleveland Indians before eventually being traded to the Montreal Expos (Colon is actually the final remaining player in the league who once suited up for the Expos). He signed the biggest contract of his career after the 2003 season with the Los Angeles Angels for four years and $51 million. After playing out that contract, Colon bounced around, struggling with injuries and sitting out the entire 2010 season. He re-emerged in 2012 with the Oakland A’s (not without controversy, he did get dinged with a 50-game suspension that year) and New York Mets.

Entering his 20th season in the big leagues, Colon is still one of the most interesting pitchers. He throws almost exclusively fastballs at this point, with impeccable control. Despite never making more than $14 million in a single season and beginning his time in the league before the explosion of TV revenue, his longevity has allowed him to top $100 million in career earnings.

Home/MLB