How much money could be spent in Vegas on free agents?
With the winter meetings opening Sunday, free-agent contracts figure to be discussed at a dizzying clip, with proposals — and cash — being tossed in every direction.
There have been 39 free-agent contracts signed for at least $100 million (including this week’s deal between Patrick Corbin and the Nationals), with seven the most signed in a single offseason (after the 2015 season).
There were three free-agent contracts worth at least $100 million signed last offseason, by Eric Hosmer (Padres), Yu Darvish (Cubs) and J.D. Martinez (Red Sox). (Martinez could opt out before his deal hits $100 million.)
Shut off the slot machines. Roll away the roulette wheels. Baseball has changed, making Las Vegas the least appropriate site for modern GMs to deal their cards.
With the winter meetings upcoming in Harper’s hometown of Las Vegas, we look at the free-agent outfielder’s quest for baseball’s biggest contract.
From the free agents set to cash in to the big-name stars sure to come up in trade rumors all winter long, keep up with all of the latest action.
There have been eight free-agent contracts of at least $200 million, most recently those signed by David Price and Zack Greinke in the offseason following the 2015 season. The most $200 million contracts handed out in a single offseason is two: Price and Greinke in the 2015 offseason and Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder in the offseason following 2011.
What about the $250 million mark? We’ve heard for a while that Bryce Harper or Manny Machado could get a commitment that high — or higher. There have been two $250 million contracts handed out to free agents — and both went to Alex Rodriguez, following the 2000 and 2007 seasons.
If we widen the net to include all contracts — not just those given to free agents, but also including extensions to players prior to reaching free agency — the largest contract by total value in MLB history was the 13-year, $325 million deal given to Giancarlo Stanton following the 2014 season. That’s the only $300 million contract in MLB history.
What about one team handing out two big-money free-agent contracts in the same offseason? There is talk the Phillies would consider doing that this year, but to date there have been only three instances of a team handing out multiple $100 million free-agent contracts in a single offseason. The Yankees following the 2008 season were the first to do it, for CC Sabathia ($161M) and Mark Teixeira ($180M). Then the post-2013 Yankees did so, for Jacoby Ellsbury ($153M) and Masahiro Tanaka ($155M). And the Tigers did it after the 2015 season, for Jordan Zimmermann ($110M) and Justin Upton ($132.75M).
Having already signed Corbin to a $140 million deal, the Nationals could be in line to match that mark this offseason.
The most money a team has ever committed in free agency in a single offseason is $471 million by the Yankees following the 2013 season. There have been four instances of a team committing at least $300 million to free-agent contracts in a single offseason: the 2013 Yankees, 2008 Yankees ($441M), 2007 Yankees ($396M) and 2011 Angels ($321M).
What about Craig Kimbrel? He reportedly is seeking a six-year deal. No free-agent reliever has ever signed a contract of more than five years (Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, B.J. Ryan).
As for total value, before the offseason following the 2016 season, no relief pitcher had ever signed a free-agent contract worth more than $50 million. The four largest free-agent contracts by total value for a reliever all have been signed since then: Chapman ($86M in 2016), Jansen ($80M in ’16), Mark Melancon ($62M in ’16) and Wade Davis ($52M in ’17).