Scott Boeck

2 days ago | usatoday.com | Scott Boeck

Josh Hader, a five-time All-Star and three-time Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award winner, came up just short of breaking the record for the largest contract for a relief pitcher. Instead, he will settle for being the highest-paid reliever in 2025. Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million deal over the winter. Edwin Diaz's $102 million deal with the New York Mets still stands as the biggest contract ever given to a reliever. Hader's deal will pay him $19 million this season.

2 days ago | news-journalonline.com | Scott Boeck

Josh Hader, a five-time All-Star and three-time Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award winner, came up just short of breaking the record for the largest contract for a relief pitcher. Instead, he will settle for being the highest-paid reliever in 2025. Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million deal over the winter. Edwin Diaz's $102 million deal with the New York Mets still stands as the biggest contract ever given to a reliever. Hader's deal will pay him $19 million this season.

3 days ago | usatoday.com | Scott Boeck

In December, he agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, the largest deal in professional sports history. His salary in 2025 will be $61.88 million, easily making him the highest-paid player in baseball. The deal also didn't include a penny of deferred money with a $75 million signing bonus, along with an opt-out after the fifth year. Soto’s deal is more than $300 million richer than any contract in the history of baseball.

6 days ago | usatoday.com | Scott Boeck

Giancarlo Stanton, not Shohei Ohtani, is the highest-paid designated hitter entering the 2025 major league season. Ohtani, who agreed to a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2024 season, will average $70 million per year. But because of his heavily deferred deal, he will make much less than that. Ohtani is deferring $68 million of his $70 million annual salary, lowering his present-day value to $28 million.

1 week ago | usatoday.com | Scott Boeck

There are three shortstops earning over $30 million this season, but it's Carlos Correa, not Francisco Lindor who is the highest-paid at the position in 2025. Lindor of the New York Mets has the highest average annual contract value ($34.1 million), but in present-day he will earn $32.47 million, which ranks third behind Correa of the Minnesota Twins ($37.3 million) and Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers ($32.5 million).