Opening day of the 2025 MLB season isn't until March 18th, with the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Chicago Cubs in Japan, but spring training is already in full swing.
The Dodgers made a splash this offseason, signing Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki just one season after signing both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to deals that rank as some of the biggest in league history.
Exactly where do those deals rank all-time, and how does Juan Soto's new deal with the New York Mets fit into the equation?
Let's take a look at the 10 largest contracts in MLB history in terms of total dollar amount, based on Spotrac data.
Yamamoto signed the largest contract by any pitcher in MLB history, narrowly eclipsing Gerrit Cole's nine-year, $324 million pact with the Yankees. At 25 years old, he was posted by the Orix Buffaloes (Nippon Professional Baseball) last winter following one of the most dominant stretches in Japanese baseball history. He was a three-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player and has a lifetime ERA of 1.82.
Stat line after deal (2024): 7-2, 90 IP, 3.00 ERA, 105 K, 1.111 WHIP
In 2014, Stanton capitalized on his stardom by signing the then-richest deal in MLB history. That deal expires after the 2027 season. Stanton was traded to the Yankees just three seasons after he signed the monster extension. He was named the 2022 All-Star Game MVP and 2017 National League MVP, earned Silver Slugger honors in 2017 and made three more All-Star Game appearances since his extension.
Stat line after extension (2015): .249/.334/.516/, 275 HRs, 704 RBIs, 131 OPS+
Seager had become a playoff hero even before signing with the Rangers prior to the 2022 season. The shortstop's deal — which now looks like it was very
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