Since the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, they have endured early exits from the playoffs in three straight years, ending seasons of high expectations on disappointing notes.
To return to the Fall Classic, the Dodgers are paying for it. They signed the two most-coveted free agents in baseball this winter. Shohei Ohtani agreed to a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal—the largest contract by total value in team sports history. Two weeks later the Dodgers acquired another Japanese star, 25-year-old pitching ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for $325 million over 12 years.
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Because of that spending spree, Los Angeles has the two highest-paid players in baseball this season according to Forbes. Baseball’s 10 highest-paid players are set to earn a record $462 million this year combined (before taxes and agents’ fees), a 6% increase from 2023’s all-time high of $436 million.
Who else made the list of the 10 highest paid players in Major League Baseball? According to Forbes, they are:
1. Shohei Ohtani, $62 million
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
On-Field: $2 million
Off-Field: $60 million
Ohtani has flown past must-see television and has become a must-see player. He has helped ticket sales across the league which has led to a multi-year partnership between MLB and Japan’s largest travel agency.
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, $59 million
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
On-Field: $55 million
Off-Field: $4 million
Yamamoto signed the most expensive pitching contract in history before ever throwing a pitch in Major League Baseball.
3. Max Scherzer, $53 million
Team: Texas Rangers
On-Field: $52 million
Off-Field: $1 million
Scherzer is getting paid by multiple teams, which lands him on this list. The New York Mets are footing the bill for a bit less than half of Scherzer’s $43.3 million annual salary with the Texas Rangers. He will also receive a deferred payment from the Washington Nationals of $8.7 million on July 1.
4. Aaron Judge, $45 million
Team: New York Yankees
On-Field: $40 million
Off-Field: $5 million
Judge is in the second season of his nine-year, $360 million contract. In March, he became the face of Bronx-born Ralph Lauren’s Polo 67 fragrance.
5. Justin Verlander, $44.1 million
Team: Houston Astros
On-Field: $43.3 million
Off-Field: $0.8 million
Justin Verlander returned to Houston at the deadline after a brief stint with the Mets. New York is covering a significant portion of the contract and if he reaches 140 innings in 2024, a $35 million option will vest — half of which is New York’s responsibility.
6. Jose Altuve, $43 million
Team: Houston Astros
On-Field: $41 million
Off-Field: $2 million
Altuve signed a five-year, $125 million extension earlier this year that will keep him in a Houston Astros uniform through 2029. His new deal also featured a $15 million signing bonus.
7. Jacob deGrom, $40.3 million
Team: Texas Rangers
On-Field: $40 million
Off-Field: $0.3 million
Jacob deGrom’s five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers got off to a rocky start when his 2023 season was cut short due to an elbow injury that required surgery. DeGrom is eyeing an August return. Regardless, he will earn a career-best $40 million on the field in each of 2024 and 2025.
8. Mike Trout, $40 million
Team: Los Angeles Angels
On-Field: $35.5 million
Off-Field: $4.5 million
Trout is dedicated to the Los Angeles Angels, and has just shy of $250 million left on his deal.
9. Anthony Rendon, $38.1 million
Team: Los Angeles Angels
On-Field: $38 million
Off-Field: $0.1 million
The Angels will pay Rendon $38 million in 2024 and each of the next two seasons, completing his seven-year, $245 million deal. Through the first four games this season, he has yet to record a hit.
10. Corey Seager, $37.5 million
Team: Texas Rangers
On-Field: $34.5 million
Off-Field: $3 million
After bringing a World Series title to the Texas Rangers, the Fall Classic’s MVP has added a plethora of sponsors to his portfolio including T-Mobile, Raising Cane’s, and New Era to a group that already included Adidas, Fanatics, and Topps.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.