What happened after the signing of the largest contracts in history?
Not all the players who got the biggest professional contracts in MLB history immediately won the World Series. What will happen to Juan Soto?
Now that the Dominican Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets for 15 years and $765 million (with the possibility of adding another $40 million in the last 10 years to raise the total amount to $805 million), it is more than pertinent to review the type of impact that the largest contracts in history have had for players and teams in Major League Baseball (MLB).
At the outset, it should be noted that of the 12 richest contracts in baseball that were awarded before Soto’s, only three produced a championship in the first season and they were those of Mookie Betts (in 2020) and those of the Japanese Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (in 2024) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and only four, in general terms, have tasted the sweet champagne of the World Series.
Juan Soto (2025-39, 15 years, $765 million):
After advancing to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2015, the Mets gave Soto a historic contract and signed pitchers Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes in free agency to improve the roster that will seek to challenge the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies in their division and the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and other good teams in the National League.
In addition to his personal statistics and the fact that he is 26 years old, Soto brings to the Mets the experience of having won with the Washington Nationals in 2019 and having played with the New York Yankees in the 2024 fall classic.
Shohei Ohtani (2024-2033, 10 years, $700 million):
The Japanese superstar inaugurated the largest contract of all time (until Soto’s) becoming the first hitter in history with a 50-50 in home runs and steals, winning his third Most Valuable Player (MVP) award unanimously. and leading the Dodgers to win the World Series.
Ohtani is one of four members of the list of players with contracts of $350 million or more to win the fall classic immediately after signing the deal.
Mike Trout: (2019-2030, 12 years, $426.5 million):
A generational player and future Hall of Famer on one of the worst teams of his era, Trout and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a historic 12-year, $426.5 million extension in March 2019, just before the start of the season. in which he won his third Most Valuable Player trophy.
Trout, who enjoyed his only postseason appearance in 2014 in his third full year in MLB, has missed more games than he has played in the last five years due to multiple injuries. The great American outfielder has barely surpassed 400 plate appearances once since 2019.
Mookie Betts (2021-2032, 12 years, $365 million):
On July 22, 2020, one day before the start of a coronavirus-shortened season, Betts and the Dodgers announced a 12-year, $365 million extension that would keep them together beyond that season, which was already covered in a one-year contract for $27 million.
Three months later, the Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series to win their first championship since 1988. Betts and the Dodgers have been to the postseason in each year since the outfielder/infielder arrived from the Boston Red Sox in February. of 2020 and last season they celebrated their second title in five seasons.
Aaron Judge (2023-2031, 9 years, $360 million):
“The Judge” and the New York Yankees failed to reach the postseason in the first year of his big contract, but in 2024 they were rewarded with the Bronx Bombers’ first appearance in the World Series since 2009.
Personally, Judge scored his second MVP in three years.
Manny Machado (2023-2033, 11 years, $350 million):
After leading the Padres to the third National League final in their history, in 2022, Machado exercised his exit option in the middle of a $300 million contract, to sign another 11-year, $350 million contract.
San Diego failed the postseason in the first year of that pact, in 2023, and last season it was eliminated by its hated rivals Doders in the Division Series of the young circuit.
Francisco Lindor (2022-2031, 10 years, $341 million):
The Mets acquired Lindor from the Cleveland Guardians in January 2021 and three months later signed him to a decade-long extension, starting in 2022.
In his first four seasons in Queens, Lindor has had mixed results: The Mets played below .500 in 2021 and 2023, but won 101 games (although they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs) in 2022 and advanced to the National League Championship Series in 2024.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (2021-2034, 14 years, $340 million):
Tatis fought on Rookie of the Year and then the Most Valuable Player in his first two seasons in MLB, which accelerated the process for San Diego to grant him a 14-year extension before beginning the 2021 game schedule, when he finished third in the Most Valuable Player voting.
In 2022, when San Diego played the final of the National LeagueTatis missed the entire season, first due to surgery on his left wrist and then for violating baseball’s anti-doping program. In 2024, San Diego swept the Atlanta Braves in the first round, but was eliminated in the Division Series.
Bryce Harper (2019-2031, 13 years, $330 million):
In the first three years of Harper’s contract, the Phillies missed the postseason, but in the last three they played in the World Series (2022) and the National League Championship Series (2023) and won the Eastern Division (2024).
On an individual level, the future member of the Hall of Famereceived his second prize MVP and two invitations to the All-Star Game since moving from Washington to Philadelphia.
Giancarlo Stanton (2015-2027, 13 years, $325 million):
In November 2014, Stanton and the Miami Marlins agreed to the first $300 million contract in Major League history.
Although the player hit many home runs and even won the National League MVP in 2017, he never played a postseason game with the Florida team.
Traded to the Yankees in 2018, Stanton hit seven home runs in the 2024 playoffs, helping New York reach its first World Series in 15 years, where it was defeated by the Dodgers in five games.
Corey Seager (2022-2031, 10 years, $325 million):
In the second season of his $325 million contract, Seager placed second in the American League MVP race and, more importantly, led the Texas Rangers to their first-ever World Series title.
The 2020 World Series MVP with the Dodgers repeated the honor with the Rangers in 2023.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024-2035, 12 years, $325 million):
In his major league debut, Yamamoto won seven games and pitched 90 innings. Not impressive for someone with the biggest pitcher contract in history.
However, in the postseason, the Japanese right-hander showed his value, throwing 18.2 innings that were decisive in winning the championship for the Dodgers. Yamamoto won two games in the playoffs, including the second game of the World Series against the Yankees, where he only allowed one run and walked none in 6.1 innings.
Gerrit Cole (2020-2028, 9 years, $324 million):
In his first five seasons of the more than $300 million contract, Cole has been a horse for the Yankees (19 WAR, 1 Cy Young and a second place and 11 playoff victories).
But his best moment came during last year’s World Series, when he limited the Dodgers to one earned run with 10 strikeouts and four walks in 12.1 innings.
Unfortunately for Cole, he can’t display any titles, which was the main reason the Yankees gave him the most guaranteed money for a pitcher until Yamamoto’s signing with the Dodgers.
