Ranking the worst contracts in the AL East: How many do the Yankees have?

Like it or not, baseball is big business. Collective player salaries have ballooned to $6 billion, and insiders expect that when the collective bargaining agreement ends after the 2026 season, the negotiations between owners and players will be contentious. The gap between the haves and the have-nots has never been wider. The New York Mets spend over $391 million on payroll, while the Miami Marlins spend less than $90 million. In the AL East, the Yankees (third), Blue Jays (fifth), Red Sox (12th), and Orioles (15th) are all in the top half of total cash payroll, while the Rays are near the bottom (28th).

Which of those big-money deals rank among the division's worst?

New York Yankees

Aaron Judge sits atop the Yankees' ledger, a bargain for $40 million annually. Gerritt Cole is next; he's out for the season with Tommy John surgery and due to make $36 million per year through 2028. The Yankees had an opportunity to rid themselves of his contract when he opted out after the 2024 season, but they gave him a mulligan instead and didn't let him test free agency. That may prove to be a mistake if the contract ages poorly.

Carlos Rodón and Max Fried each make $27 million. This year, they've been worth every penny, but Rodón did underperform in his first two seasons in pinstripes. The Cody Bellinger ($24 million) trade was Brian Cashman's best move during the 2024 offseason. The Yankees and Marlins split Giancarlo Stanton's contract (Yankees pay $22 million). Injuries have marred his Yankees tenure, but his clutch gene is one of a kind.

The only other long-term contracts the Yankees have above $10M are Ryan McMahon ($11 million) and DJ LeMahieu, $15 million, who is on the payroll through 2026. Both Aaron Hicks and Marcus Stroman's contracts end after 2025.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are so young that they only have three players under contract for next season before arbitration - Jorge Mateo (team option), Tyler O'Neill (who can opt out), and Elvin Rodriguez (technically with a 2026 team option, but DFA'd on Sept. 2). Baseball insiders criticized them for not re-signing ace Corbin Burnes during the 2024 offseason, but he is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. I expect them to be major players in free agency this winter. Kyle Tucker is a great fit.

Boston Red Sox

Red Sox ownership has a habit of trading homegrown players like Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers instead of paying them, so Alex Bregman sits atop the Red Sox ledger. He's missed some time this year, but is having an MVP-type season otherwise. Perhaps he's overpaid, as the fourth-highest-paid player in the game tied with Aaron Judge, but on a three-year contract with opt-outs and player options, it's not so bad.

The Red Sox will pay Garrett Crochet $28 million next year, which is a bargain. Trevor Story should send his agent a lovely Christmas present every December for helping him ink a $140 million deal in 2022. Story is signed until 2028 and has given the Red Sox 5.6 fWAR so far, though he's heated up this summer. Masataka Yoshida provides the Sox with some reach into the Japanese market, but he is not a good fit for the roster because he cannot play the field. He signed a five-year, $90 million deal in 2023.

Roman Anthony is due to make $16 million next year, which is excellent value for the Red Sox. Lucas Giolito has a club option at $14 million, which may vest into a mutual option if he reaches 140 innings pitched this season. Jordan Hicks is the Sox's only other contract worth over $10 million. It's a little rich for him.

Tampa Bay Rays

Perennially cheap, in an article about the worst contracts in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays aren't even typically worth mentioning. It's ironic, then, that they have the clear worst contract in the AL East. They gave Wander Franco $182 million, but they don't have to pay it because he's on the commissioner's exempt list, where he will remain for the rest of his life. The only other nine-figure contract they've ever signed was Evan Longoria for $100 million in 2012. Ha-Seong Kim was their highest-paid player before he was claimed on waivers by the Atlanta Braves this past weekend. He's likely to opt in for $14 million next year after appearing in only 20 games this season.

Toronto Blue Jays

Somewhat surprisingly, the Toronto Blue Jays have the fifth-highest payroll in baseball. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., their franchise player, inked a lucrative extension earlier this season. George Springer, their second-highest-paid player, signed a six-year, $150 million deal with the Jays in 2021. After being league average for the past two seasons, he's having a resurgence at age 35. He's a free agent in two offseasons.

In the $20 million range, Kevin Gausman was a great signing by GM Ross Atkins. Jose Berrios had a terrible debut season in Toronto but has since righted the ship. The Jays traded for Andrés Giménez in a salary dump last offseason. Giménez signed a $106 million extension with the Cleveland Guardians after a career year in 2022, but has regressed into a defensive specialist who is well below average with the bat.

Anthony Santander missed most of the year, which is a bad start to a five-year, $92 million contract that he signed last offseason. Shane Bieber is a good gamble at $13 million if he chooses to exercise his player option. Catcher Alejandro Kirk and closer Jeff Hoffman are good values at their $11 million salaries.

Worst Contracts in the AL East

Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays
Anthony Santander, Toronto Blue Jays
Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox
Trevor Story, Boston Red Sox
DJ LeMahieu, New York Yankees
Andrés Giménez, Toronto Blue Jays
Ha-Seong Kim (now traded), Tampa Bay Rays
Carlos Rodón, New York Yankees
George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays
Gerritt Cole, New York Yankees