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MLB: The 20 biggest contracts in professional sports

By Kristen Bentley

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 19: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers and Albert Pujols #5 and Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim talk in centerfield prior to the start of the game at Comerica Park on April 19, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Angels 5-2. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 19: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers and Albert Pujols #5 and Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim talk in centerfield prior to the start of the game at Comerica Park on April 19, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Angels 5-2. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

While looking at the biggest contracts in the history of sports, the top 20 are all being paid to athletes who are currently playing – with the exception of two athletes.

The 21st biggest contract belongs to Derek Jeter who was paid $189 million for the 10 years between 2001 and 2010. With the money given out today, this seems paltry, doesn’t it?

#20

As we get into the list of current athletes, the 20th highest player in sports is Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. When he signed his contract in 2017, he was the highest paid NBA player in the history of the game. His current contract is for five years 2017-2022 and for $201 million. His average annual value (AAV) is slightly more than $40 million.

#19

Curry is no longer the highest paid basketball player. In 2018, Russell Westbrook signed a slightly bigger contract for five years. His contract is for $206 million with an AAV of $41 million. As the cap increases, it’s safe to say that someone will soon make more.

#18

Here’s where baseball gets going. Zack Greinke received a lucrative contract from the Diamondbacks in 2016. This contract made him the highest paid pitcher with an annual average value of $34 million, which works out to $206.5 million in the six-year deal.

#17

While Greinke’s contract had the highest AAV, Max Scherzer‘s contract was for more money and one more year. The Nationals are paying him $210 million for seven years, but some of the money in the complicated contract is deferred. His AAV is $30 million.

#16

This contract is one that includes the dreaded words, “Dead Money.” This is money paid to players who are no longer on your team. The Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder to one of the most lucrative contracts in history, $214 million for nine years. The team was hoping to recapture the magic that his father Cecil Fielder brought to the team in the 1980s, but the son was not the father. Instead, Fielder needed to be traded, so he was, but not all of his contract went with him to the Texas Rangers at the close of the 2015 season.

The Tigers are still on the hook for two more years at $6 million. The Rangers are on the hook for $9 million for two more years. Fielder retired in 2017 and was released from his contract.

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