Derek Jeter and the 20 richest players in MLB
With guaranteed contracts and nine-figure deals, the salaries for Major League Baseball players are higher than their NFL, NBA and NHL counterparts. With Derek Jeter retiring after a Hall of Fame career, I began thinking where he ranked among the richest players in the history of MLB and the results were surprising.
Eight of the top 20 highest career salaries from active players are current or former members of the Yankees, including each member of the top five, but that should come as no surprise considering the franchise’s tendency to throw around eight and nine-figure contracts.
First base is the most represented position on the list with six, starting pitchers and outfielders came in second with four each, third basemen had three, designated hitters had two and the retiring Derek Jeter was the lone shortstop.
After reading through the list, please leave your thoughts and opinions on the list in the comments section below.Who was the player you were most surprised to see among the top 20 career earners in Major League Baseball? How about the player you believe is the most overpaid?
Without further ado, here are the 20 richest active baseball players based on their career earnings.
All salary information courtesy of baseball-reference.
20. Mark Buehrle, Starting Pitcher – $118,980,000
Buehrle has been one of the top left-handed starters in baseball throughout his 15-year career and currently ranks fourth among active pitchers with 198 wins.
The five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner is in the third year of a four-year deal he signed with the Miami Marlins after playing the first 12 seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox that pays him $58 million over four years with an annual average salary of $14.5 million.
Buehrle’s name came as a surprise to me when looking at the top 20 active leaders in career earnings, but that’s just typical for a player who has been under the radar for much of his career.
He has won double-digit games for 14 consecutive seasons, sports a 56.6 career winning percentage and a 3.82 career ERA while making at least 30 starts for 14 straight years and is only the seventh pitcher since 1091 to have 14 years in a row with at least 200 innings. He is the model of consistency.
19. Bobby Abreu, OF – $124,379,666
Abreu was back in baseball at the age of 40 this year with the New York Mets after he was out of the bigs in 2013. Playing with his sixth franchise and in his 18th year in the big leagues, Abreu has made a living out of being a steady source of power and as a consistent run producer.
Through 18 seasons, Abreu has had nine seasons with at least 20 home runs and 10 seasons with at least 85 RBI. Abreu was a two-time All-Star and one-time gold glove winner but he is going to fall short of his bid for 300 career home runs as he has 288, but had he got to 300 he would have joined an elite club with 300 home runs and 400 stolen bases.
He was more of a doubles hitter and has 574 career doubles as one of the better speed-power guys during his prime and was a player who embraced taking a walk rather than extending his strike zone to try and make contact. He averaged 99 walks a season over his career, including 100 or more from 1999-2006, which is why he has a .395 career on-base percentage.
However, I was surprised to see him among the game’s highest earners.
18. Joe Mauer, Catcher/1B/DH – $126,025,000
From 2006-2010 Mauer played as well as any catcher has in baseball since Mike Piazza and looked like his plaque would be handing in Cooperstown at the MLB hall of Fame five years after he retired when he won three batting titles and finished in the top eight of MVP voting each year, including winning the award in 2009.
Mauer’s 2009 season was an historic season as he led the AL with a .365 average, .444 on-base percentage and .587 slugging percentage while hitting a career-high 28 home runs and driving in 98 runs, also a career-high for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Injuries reared their ugly head in 2011 when he was forced to miss half the season, but he rebounded nicely in 2012 when he led the league with a .416 on-base percentage only to miss significant time again in 2013 and 2014. His time behind the dish is long over as Mauer transitions to first base in an effort to keep his knees and legs healthy.
Mauer never saw the 28-home run pop return to his bat, but his career average of .319 and .401 OBP make him the best catcher in the AL of his generation and merits a spot in the Hall of Fame.
17. David Ortiz, DH – $127,512,500
Ortiz will retire as the greatest designated hitter in the history of the game and also the richest. The three-time World Series champion finished in the top five of MVP voting his first three seasons with the Boston Red Sox after leaving the Minnesota Twins and quickly ingratiated himself as one of the more beloved figures in the franchise’s history.
Big Papi has been selected for nine All-Star teams, won six silver slugger awards, and is closing in on 500 home runs for his career and when he decided to call it a career will likely be the first full-time DH to be enshrined in Cooperstown at the MLB Hall of Fame.
His postseason success is what really separates Ortiz from his contemporaries. Ortiz his .668 in the World Series in 2013 with an absurd 1.948 on-base plus slugging percentage and has a career batting average in the World Series of .455.
Outside of Ted Williams has there ever been a more beloved figure for the Fenway faithful?
16. Paul Konerko, 1B/DH – $129,790,000
Lost in the Derek Jeter retirement tour is that one of the greatest members of the Chicago White Sox is retiring as well as Konerko rides off into the sunset as one of the classiest and most respected players to ever come through Chicago in any sport.
Konerko is a borderline Hall of Famer with 439 home runs and 1,412 rbi entering the final weekend of his career, but he never led the league in any category and outside of six All-Star Game appearances has never won any individual awards.
However, White Sox fans will be quick to point out that he was instrumental to the White Sox winning the World Series in 2006, and who could forget his grand slam home run he hit against the Houston Astros in that series?
Konerko took the torch from Frank Thomas when he left the White Sox and was the face and leader of the franchise and even if he doesn’t make the Hall, will go down as one of the five greatest to ever wear aWhite Sox uniform.
15. Ryan Howard, 1B- $130,255,000
Howard was the premier home run hitter in the National League almost from the time he saw his first extended action in the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005 when he won the Rookie of the Year after hitting 22 home runs in 312 at bats.
The next year saw Howard win the MVP when he smacked 58 home runs and 149 runs batted in while making his first All-Star game. The next three seasons saw Howard hit 47, 48 and 45 home runs with 136, 146 and 141 RBI as he had four straight seasons with at least 40 hr and 135 RBI.
Howard finished in the top five of MVP voting each of those four seasons, but the pinnacle of that four-year run was when he led the Phillies to the 2008 World Series over Tampa Bay.
However, Howard was never quite the same player after tearing his Achilles in the playoffs in 2011 and has yet to reach the 30 HR or 100 RBI plateau since and has three years and $73 million remaining on his current deal.
14. Jason Giambi, 1B/DH- $133,558,996
Yes, Giambi is still active and has carved out a nice role as a bench player as he wraps up his 20th seasonin the big leagues after making his Major League debut with the Oakland A’s in 1995, or four years after presumptive AL MVP Mike Trout was born.
Giambi was one of the more feared hitters in baseball from 1998-2008 when he finished in the top-eight of MVP voting four times, including winning the award in 2000. Giambi consistently ranked among the league leaders in home runs, RBI, walks and on-base percentage, but his body broke down in his seventh and final season with the New York Yankees in 2008 after collecting $120 million.
His involvement BALCO and the use of steroids likely contributed to the breakdown of his body, but he has managed to stick around as a bench player and rejoined the A’s for the 2009 season but after being released was signed by the Colorado Rockies and currently is in his second season with the Cleveland Indians.
13. Aramis Ramirez, 3B – $133,885,000
Ramirez is in the final year of a three-year, $36 million deal he signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and has a mutual option that could be bought out for $4 million this offseason.
The three-time All-Star was the best third baseman for the Chicago Cubs since Hall of Famer Ron Santo when he played in Chicago from 2003-2011 after the Cubs traded for him and Kenny Lofton to acquire the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman to make their pennant push in 2003.
Ramirez has 10 seasons with at least 25 home runs and nine seasons with at least 90 RBI and has a .286 career batting average but it seems like he has never been appreciated for what he brings to the plate.
He’s never going to be confused for a gold glover at third, but he has put together a very solid career, although likely not one that will result in a Hall of Fame induction, the hall of very good, yes, but not the Hall of Fame.
12. A.J. Burnett, SP – $135,771,500
Burnett is scheduled to be a free agent this winter after making $16 million on the one-year deal he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and is likely done commanding eight-figures considering he will be 38 in January and the fact that he leads the NL with 17 losses, 105 earned runs and 93 walks.
It is very likely we have seen the last of Burnett in the major leagues and if so, he will go down as one of the more overpaid players in the history of the game. Burnett has always had nice stuff, but his ability to harness his talent has resulted in him being one of the more erratic pitchers of his era.
When he was on, he was lights out, but when he was off, he had the tendency to walk the world, hit the batter and throw a wild pitch. In fact, Burnett has previously led the league in walks, hit batters and wild pitches and will now add losses, earned runs and his second season leading the league in walks to his resume.
Burnett once threw a no-hitter with nine walks. That is the perfect example of his talent and inability to locate the strike zone.
11. Miguel Cabrera, 3B/1B – $138,410,623
Cabrera is going to finish as one of the highest-paid players to ever play the game when his career is over after signing a 10-year, $292 million contract prior to the start of the 2014 season. The contract is the single largest contract in MLB history for the two-time AL MVP and 2012 Triple Crown Winner.
The 12-year veteran was a big-money player when he was making the league minimum when he made his big league debut in 2003 and was the best hitter on the Florida Marlins team than won the World Series. What he’s done since has cemented his status as one of the all-time greats.
Cabrera has finished in the top five of MVP voting a total of seven time s throughout his Hall of Fame career and will go down as one of the greatest right handed hitter of all-time, along with his contemporary Albert Pujols.
10. Adrian Beltre, 3B – $149,140,000
Beltre has one more year left on the five-year, $80 million deal he signed with the Texas Rangers and although he will be 36 at the time he signs his next deal, it is very possible he still can command a two-year deal worth $10 million a year because of his offense and defense at the hot corner.
It was only last year when Beltre led the AL with 199 hits and is hitting .325 this season and on pace to finish with his highest on-base percentage of his career with a .390 clip. Beltre is six home runs shy of 400 for his career and wiht a .285 career average has put himself in the running for a plaque in Cooperstown.
Beltre may have never been considered the best at his position during his career, but with four gold gloves and four All-Star Games, he has been one of the more underrated players of his era and worthy of induction.
9. Albert Pujols, 1B – $155,040,436
Pujols is arguably the greatest right handed hitter of his generation and perhaps one of the all-time greats. During his 11 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols was a virtual certainty to score 100 runs, hit 30 home runs, drive in 100 and hit greater than .300.
In fact, if not for a 99 run season in 2007 and a 99 rbi year in 2011, Pujols would have had 11 years with those benchmarks being hit to begin his career. That is simply remarkable.
Pujols is not quite the same player he was with the Cardinals after signing a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but the nine-time All-Star, three-time NL MVP, and two-time World Series champion was a Hall of Famer based on what he did with the Cardinals.
The debate will be a fun one for years to come, but who was the better hitter, Miguel Cabrera or Albert Pujols?
8. Ichiro Suzuki, OF – $159,131,483
How great were the first 10 seasons in the major leagues for Ichiro after he came over from Japan?
Ichiro had more than 200 hits in each season, including a record 262 hits in 2004 when he led the league with a .372 average to claim his second batting title of his career. Ichiro hit greater than .300 each season, had nine seasons with at least 30 stolen bases and was also the best right fielder in the game with a deadly throwing arm as he won 10 gold gloves.
No longer a full-time player with the Yankees compared to his time with the Seattle Mariners when he led the league in at bats eight times, but is still hitting .284 and has a career average of .317. Entering the final weekend of the season, Ichiro has 2,841 career hits and will be in the Hall of Fame five years after he retires.
When you combine his numbers from Japan with his numbers in MLB and he’s one of the greatest pure hitters of all-time.
7. Torii Hunter, OF – $160,555,000
It is hard to believe that this is Hunter’s 18th season in baseball, but the veteran outfielder is still going strong at 38 years old for the Detroit Tigers. His days as a big earner are in teh rear-view mirror after signing a two-year, $26 million deal in 2013 and will be a free agent this winter where he should still command a nice return, although likely for only on a one-year deal.
Hunter has played in five All-Star Games and won nine gold gloves as the premier center fielder in the American League before shifting to right full-time in 2011 when he was with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
One of the game’s best personalities and characters during his time, I don’t know that Hunter hit enough home runs or stole enough bases to merit Hall of Fame consideration, but I would hope we can see Hunter in a broadcast booth or in a TV studio when his playing days are over, even though he won’t necessarily need the cash.
6. Johan Santana, SP – $161,497,269
Santana was hoping to crack the Baltimore Orioles rotation this season as he recovered form shoulder surgery, but a torn Achilles ended those dreams and his future in the big leagues is very much in doubt, but he’s still technically an active player.
From 2003-2008, Santana was arguably the greatest pitcher going as the lefty had a devastating changeup that kept hitters off balance and couldn’t key in on his fastball. With two Cy Youngs and four other years finishing in the top-seven, Santana was on the Hall of Fame path before shoulder injuries derailed his road to Cooperstown.
Santana owns a career record of 139-78 with a 3.20 ERA and three times led the league in ERA and strikeouts.
You have to wonder what those numbers would look like today had his body not betrayed him at the end of his career. Sure you can say that about a number of pitchers (Kerry Wood and Mark Prior) but Santana was robbed of a shot at 200 career wins and a chance at the Hall of Fame.
5. Mark Teixeira, 1B – $166,775,000
Teixeira has two years remaining on his eight-year, $180 million deal he signed with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season. He led the AL in home runs and rbi his first season in the Bronx when he finished second in the MVP voting and backed that up with two more seasons with 30 home runs and 100 rbi seasons, but the last few years have been disappointing.
2012 saw his home runs drop to a career-low 24 and his 84 rbi were the lowest mark since he had that many in his rookie season with the Texas Rangers and was limited to 123 games. The next season was the low mark of his career as he hit .151 in 15 games before injury ended his season.
Teixeira continued his downward trajectory with a .219 average, 22 home runs and 61 rbi entering the season’s final weekend, which represent all new career-lows for a player with two years and $45 million left on his deal.
4. C.C. Sabathia, SP – $169,357,142
Sabathia has two more years left on the eight-year, $182 million deal he signed with the Yankees, but his ability to perform for the team over that time remains to be seen after missing the bulk of the 2014 season with a knee injury.
The 6-7 lefty used to be one of the more durable and dependable starters in the game when he recorded seven straight seasons with at least 200 innings before being limited to 46 innings and eight starts this season. In fact, this is the first season in his 14-year career he has pitched less than 180 innings in a season.
Sabathia is 208-119 for his career with a 3.63 ERA and finished in the top five of Cy Young voting five times in his career, including 2007 when he won his first and only Cy Young with the Cleveland Indians. He was selected to six All-Star teams led the AL in wins twice.
3. Carlos Beltran, OF – $175,952,782
The eight-time All-Star benefited from playing for both of the New York teams as he signed big contracts with the Mets and the Yankees during his 17-year career which saw him play for six different teams.
Beltran was one of the top outfielders during his prime when he won three gold gloves and his combination of power and speed resulted in him hitting more than 200 home runs and stealing more than 300 bases. Beltran had 12 seasons with at least 20 home runs, eight seasons with 100 runs batted in and eight seasons with at least 20 stolen bases.
Injuries robbed Beltran of his speed late in his career, but he’ll go down as one of the best speed-power players of all-time and a borderline Hall of Fame candidate.
2. Derek Jeter, SS – $265,159,364
Jeter may not be the greatest Yankee of all-time but he was one of the greatest ambassadors for the game of baseball the sport has ever seen. The Captain is synonymous with the New York Yankees and his farewell tour this season gave fans across the league a player to root for outside of their favorite team.
The Captain played in 14 All-Star Games, was in the top 10 of MVP voting eight times, won five gold gloves, is the active leader in games, at bats, hits, runs and just about every single defensive category for a shortstop.
His five World Series championships are literally the stuff legends are made of and he has a career average of .308 in 158 career postseason games.
Jeter’s final at bat in Yankee Stadium on Thursdy evening is the stuff Hollywood screenplays are made of when he delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning on his textbook inside-out swing between the second baseman and first baseman
No. 2 in your lineup and the No. 2 earner in the history of baseball. Jeter did things the right way and was as classy and professional as they came unlike the player who comes in at No. 1.
1. Alex Rodriguez, SS/3B – $356,285,104
Rodriguez sat out the 2014 season as he served a suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. He’s also earned the most money of any professional baseball player of all-time after signing a pair of contracts worth more than $250 million, which at the time were the two richest contracts in MLB history.
For a long time it looked like Rodriguez was destined to be the game’s all-time home run king and one of the best to ever play the game, but after his repeated use of performance-enhancing drugs came to light, his reputation and career took a serious blow.
Will he end up in the Hall of Fame? It’s tough to say that today considering players like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, two of the best players to ever wear a uniform haven’t been inducted yet and any other player with a history of PED use has been on the outside looking in.
In the case of AROD, his career suffered as a result of his drug use, but his bank account didn’t suffer and that’s a shame.
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