Player salaries have been skyrocketing over the last few years, topped off by Alex Rodriguez's monster deal with the Texas Rangers this past offseason. Below is a list of 12 players dating back to 1990 who at the time signed the richest contracts in the game. How did they after they signed for the big bucks?
The statistics for each player are from the year before and after they signed their contract:
Alex Rodriguez
Signed a 10-year, $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers prior to the 2001 season. A-Rod is now surrounded by a potent lineup and will play in a home ballpark that is widely considered a great hitter's park.
| Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
|
2000 |
148 |
554
|
134
|
175
|
41
|
132
|
100
|
121
|
.420
|
.606
|
.316
|
|
2001 |
? |
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
|
Career |
790 |
3126
|
627
|
966
|
189
|
595
|
310
|
616
|
.374
|
.561
|
.309
|
Kevin Brown
Signed a seven-year, $105 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the '99 season. After leading the San Diego Padres to the World Series, the hard-throwing right-hander has had two excellent campaigns with the Dodgers.
| Year |
W |
L |
ERA |
G/GS |
CG/SHO |
INN |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| 1998 |
18 |
7 |
2.38 |
36/35 |
7/3 |
257.0 |
225 |
77 |
68 |
49 |
221 |
| 1999 |
18 |
9 |
3.00 |
35/35 |
5/1 |
252.1 |
210 |
99 |
84 |
59 |
221 |
| Career |
170 |
114 |
3.21 |
382/380 |
71/17 |
2660.2 |
2494 |
1091 |
948 |
730 |
1917 |
Mo Vaughn
Signed a six-year, $80 million deal with the Anaheim Angels before the '99 season. The 1995 American League MVP winner with the Boston Red Sox had anything but an MVP-caliber season as his home run production, average and slugging percentage all took hits in his first season outside the confines of Fenway Park.
| Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
|
1998 |
154 |
609
|
107
|
205
|
40
|
115
|
61
|
114
|
.402
|
.591
|
.337
|
|
1999 |
139 |
524
|
63
|
147
|
33
|
108
|
54
|
127
|
.358
|
.508
|
.281
|
|
Career |
1346 |
4966
|
784
|
1479
|
299
|
977
|
652
|
1262
|
.387
|
.533
|
.298
|
Mike Piazza
Signed a seven-year, $91 million deal with the New York Mets before the '99 season. Traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers in '98, Piazza enjoyed a season worthy of his lucrative new contract after re-signing with the Mets.
| Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
| 1998 |
151 |
561 |
88 |
184 |
32 |
111 |
58 |
80 |
.390 |
.570 |
.328 |
| 1999 |
141 |
534 |
100 |
162 |
40 |
124 |
51 |
70 |
.361 |
.575 |
.303 |
| Career |
1117 |
4135 |
701 |
1356 |
278 |
881 |
439 |
632 |
.392 |
.580 |
.328 |
Pedro Martinez
Signed a six-year, $75 million deal with the Boston Red Sox before the '98 season. The 1997 National League Cy Young winner finished second in the 1998 AL Cy Young voting before winning back-to-back AL Cy Young awards in 1999 and 2000.
|
Year |
W |
L |
ERA |
G/GS |
CG/SHO |
INN |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
|
1997 |
17 |
8 |
1.90
|
31/31
|
13/4
|
241.1
|
158
|
65
|
51
|
67
|
305
|
|
1998 |
19 |
7
|
2.89
|
33/33
|
3/2
|
233.2
|
188
|
82
|
75
|
67
|
251
|
|
Career |
125 |
56
|
2.68
|
278/211
|
35/35
|
1576.1
|
1178
|
520
|
470
|
442
|
1818
|
Albert Belle
Signed a five-year, $55 million deal with the Chicago White Sox before the '97 season. Despite batting behind two-time MVP Frank Thomas, Belle struggled at the plate in his first season with a mediocre .491 slugging percentage.
| Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
| 1996 |
158 |
602 |
124 |
187 |
48 |
148 |
99 |
87 |
.410 |
.623 |
.311 |
| 1997 |
161 |
634 |
90 |
174 |
30 |
116 |
53 |
105 |
.332 |
.491 |
.274 |
| Career |
1539 |
5853 |
974 |
1726 |
381 |
1239 |
683 |
961 |
.369 |
.564 |
.295 |
Ken Griffey Jr.
Signed a four-year, $34 million deal with the Seattle Mariners before the '96 season. Griffey signed what was then baseball's most lucrative deal despite sitting out most of the 1995 season with a broken wrist.
|
Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
|
1995 |
72 |
260
|
52
|
67
|
17
|
42
|
52
|
53
|
.379
|
.481
|
.258
|
|
1996 |
140 |
545
|
125
|
165
|
49
|
140
|
78
|
104
|
.392
|
.628
|
.303
|
|
Career |
1680 |
6352
|
1163
|
1883
|
438
|
1270
|
841
|
1101
|
.380
|
.568
|
.296
|
Barry Bonds
Signed a six year, $42 million deal with the San Francisco Giants prior to the '93 season. After leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to the NLCS, Bonds had perhaps his greatest year ever, finishing with a career-best .336 batting average, 46 home runs and 123 RBI. He won his second straight MVP, joining Terry Pendleton, Kirk Gibson and Andre Dawson as players who won the MVP in their first year after free agency.
|
Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
|
1992 |
140 |
473
|
109
|
147
|
34
|
103
|
127
|
69
|
.456
|
.624
|
.311
|
|
1993 |
159 |
539
|
129
|
181
|
46
|
123
|
126
|
79
|
.458
|
.677
|
.336
|
|
Career |
2143 |
7456
|
1584
|
2157
|
494
|
1405
|
1547
|
1189
|
.412
|
.567
|
.289
|
Ryne Sandberg
Signed a four-year, $28.4 million deal with the Chicago Cubs prior to the '92 season. While his RBI production slipped, both Sandberg's average and slugging percentage improved.
|
Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
|
1991 |
158 |
585
|
104
|
170
|
26
|
100
|
87
|
89
|
.384
|
.485
|
.291
|
|
1992 |
158 |
612
|
100
|
186
|
26
|
87
|
68
|
73
|
.374
|
.510
|
.304
|
|
Career |
2164 |
8385
|
1318
|
2386
|
282
|
1061
|
761
|
1280
|
.347
|
.452
|
.285
|
Roger Clemens
Signed a four-year, $21.2 million with the Boston Red Sox before the '91 season. Coming off the best season of his career, both Clemens' record and ERA dipped after signing the contract, although he was still good enough to win the AL Cy Young Award.
|
Year |
W |
L |
ERA |
G/GS |
CG/SHO |
INN |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
|
1990 |
21 |
6
|
1.93
|
31/31
|
7/4
|
228.1
|
193
|
59
|
49
|
54
|
209
|
|
1991 |
18 |
10
|
2.62
|
35/35
|
13/4
|
271.1
|
219
|
93
|
79
|
65
|
241
|
|
Career |
260 |
142
|
3.07
|
512/511
|
116/45
|
3666.2
|
3101
|
1385
|
1252
|
1186
|
3504
|
Jose Canseco
Signed a five-year, $23.5 million deal with the Oakland A's before the '90 season. Canseco missed most of the 1989 season with injuries, but rebounded for more Canseco-like numbers after inking the contract.
|
Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
|
1989 |
65 |
227
|
40
|
61
|
17
|
57
|
23
|
69
|
.333
|
.542
|
.269
|
|
1990 |
131 |
481
|
83
|
132
|
37
|
101
|
72
|
158
|
.371
|
.543
|
.274
|
|
Career |
1811 |
6801
|
1140
|
1811
|
446
|
1358
|
861
|
1867
|
.352
|
.516
|
.266
|
Kirby Puckett
Signed a three-year, $9 million deal with the Minnesota Twins before the '90 season. Coming off four consecutive .300 seasons, Puckett's numbers slipped after signing the contract, finishing the season with a .298 average.
|
Year |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
OBP |
SLG |
AVG |
|
1989 |
159 |
635
|
75
|
215
|
9
|
85
|
41
|
59
|
.381
|
.465
|
.339
|
|
1990 |
146 |
551
|
82
|
164
|
12
|
80
|
57
|
73
|
.367
|
.446
|
.298
|
|
Career |
1783 |
7244
|
1071
|
2304
|
207
|
1085
|
450
|
965
|
.363
|
.477
|
.318
|
| |
 |