The 27 Highest Paid Baseball Players — Are They Worth It?
Outfielder, Washington Nationals
2016 Salary: $21,000,000*
Contract: 7 years, $126 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 0.4**
Overpaid/underpaid: If the market value of each point of WAR was roughly $6.5 million for the 2015 season, as estimated by ESPN’s Dan Szymborski, Werth is highly overpaid.
*Data from Spotrac MLB Salary Rankings
** ZiPS WAR Data from Fan Graphs
© USA Today Sports / Reuters
Designated Hitter, New York Yankees
2016 Salary: $21,000,000
Contract: 10 years, $275 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 1.1
Overpaid/underpaid: If he hits like he did in 2015, the Yankees won’t be overpaying wildly. The projections factor in a decline.
Pitcher, San Diego Padres
2016 Salary: $21,000,000
Contract: 4 years, $75 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 3.1
Overpaid/underpaid: If Shields does a bit better than last year, as implied by his projected WAR, he’ll be overpaid, but only slightly.
Outfielder, New York Yankees
2016 Salary: $21,607,000
Contract: 7 years, $153 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 2.0
Overpaid/underpaid: The Yankees will need Ellsbury to have a big bounce-back season to make this contract look less than foolish.
Outfielder, San Diego Padres
2016 Salary: $21,500,000
Contract: 8 years, $160 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 0.5
Overpaid/underpaid: If the low WAR projection proves right, Kemp will be vastly overpaid.
Outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers
2016 Salary: $21,607,000
Contract: 7 years, $142 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 0.6
Overpaid/underpaid: Ouch. Just ouch.
First Base, Los Angeles Dodgers
2016 Salary: $21,857,000
Contract: 7 years, $154 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 2.4
Overpaid/underpaid: If Gonzalez produces another season in line with his last few (WAR of 3.8 to 4), he’s a solid value for the Dodgers.
Shortstop, Colorado Rockies
2016 Salary: $22,000,000
Contract: 6 years, $106 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 1.4
Overpaid/underpaid: Overpaid.
Pitcher, New York Yankees
2016 Salary: $22,000,000
Contract: 7 years, $155 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 2.8
Overpaid/underpaid: The projection implies a value around $18 million to $20 million.
Outfielder, Boston Red Sox
2016 Salary: $22,000,000
Contract: 4 years, $88 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 1.9
Overpaid/underpaid: Ramirez actually had a negative WAR last season. The Red Sox need him to bounce back in a big way.
Outfielder, Detroit Tigers
2016 Salary: $22,125,000
Contract: 6 years, $132.75 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 3.5
Overpaid/underpaid: Upton’s new deal with the Tigers looks to be in the right ballpark in terms of 2016 value.
Pitcher, Texas Rangers
2016 Salary: $22,500,000
Contract: 6 years, $144 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 3.3
Overpaid/underpaid: About right.
First Base, New York Yankees
2016 Salary: $22,500,000
Contract: 8 years, $180 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 1.5
Overpaid/underpaid: If he plays like he did when healthy last year, Tex may be a bargain. The projections don’t forecast that happening.
First Base, Minnesota Twins
2016 Salary: $23,000,000
Contract: 8 years, $184 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 1.6
Overpaid/underpaid: Overpaid.
Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks
2016 Salary: $24,000,000
Contract: 6 years, $206.5 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 4.4
Overpaid/underpaid: If Greinke pitches as well as projected, he’ll be a bargain this year.
Designated Hitter, Rangers
2016 Salary: $24,000,000
Contract: 9 years, $214 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 0.9
Overpaid/underpaid: Overpaid.
Second Base, Seattle Mariners
2016 Salary: $24,000,000
Contract: 10 years, $240 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 3.5
Overpaid/underpaid: Probably about right.
Pitcher, New York Yankees
2016 Salary: $25,000,000
Contract: 8 years, $186 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 1.1
Overpaid/underpaid: Heavily overpaid.
First Base, Los Anageles Angels
2016 Salary: $25,000,000
Contract: 10 years, $240 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 2.6
Overpaid/underpaid: Overpaid.
First Base, Philadelphia Phillies
2016 Salary: $25,000,000
Contract: 5 years, $125 million
Projected 2016 WAR: -0.8
Overpaid/underpaid: Terribly overpaid.
Pitcher, Seattle Mariners
2016 Salary: $25,857,142
Contract: 7 years, $175 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 4.6
Overpaid/underpaid: A solid value.
Outfielder, New York Mets
2016 Salary: $27,500,000
Contract: 3 years, $75 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 4.1
Overpaid/underpaid: Probably about right.
Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
2016 Salary: $28,000,000
Contract: 6 years, $162 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 2.9
Overpaid/underpaid: Overpaid.
First Base, Detroit Tigers
2016 Salary: $28,000,000
Contract: 8 years, $248 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 4.1
Overpaid/underpaid: Probably about right.
Outfielder, Texas Rangers
2016 Salary: $28,410,000
Contract: 5 years, $125 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 0.4
Overpaid/underpaid: Way overpaid.
Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
2016 Salary: $30,000,000
Contract: 7 years, $217 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 5.2
Overpaid/underpaid: Price’s big new contract may underpay him this season if he lives up to the projection.
Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
2016 Salary: $32,000,000
Contract: 7 years, $215 million
Projected 2016 WAR: 7.8
Overpaid/underpaid: Even as the highest-paid player in baseball, Kershaw may be a bargain.