These are the 30 highest-paid MLB players for 2023 originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The 2023 MLB season is underway, and with it comes some big-time paydays for star players.
Aaron Judge re-signed with the New York Yankees on a nine-year megadeal, Trea Turner joined the Philadelphia Phillies on another massive contract and Jacob deGrom is now with the Texas Rangers.
All three of those players received eye-popping deals, but where do they stand among the highest-paid players in baseball?
Who are the highest-paid MLB players?
It took a record-setting three-year, $130 million contract to lure Max Scherzer from Hollywood to the Big Apple in 2022, and one of his former teammates joined him this offseason
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Justin Verlander signed a two-year, $86,666,666 deal with the New York Mets in December, tying Scherzer for the highest average annual salary in MLB history. Scherzer, whose prior deal had an average annual value of $30 million, blew past Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s previous record of $36 million with the new $43,333,333 figure. Verlander, the 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner, is now tied atop the list with the same annual payday as Scherzer.
Baseball’s third and final player to earn $40 million a year also resides in New York. Judge inked a nine-year, $360 million deal to stay with the Yankees, putting an end to the biggest free agency sweepstakes of the offseason.
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deGrom comes in at No. 4 in average salary at $37 million after joining the Rangers on a five-year, $185 million deal. Cole’s $36 million average salary puts him at No. 5 in the big leagues.
Here’s a full look at the highest-paid MLB players for this season based on average annual salary, according to Spotrac:
T-1. Max Scherzer, New York Mets: $43,333,333
T-1. Justin Verlander, New York Mets: $43,333,333
3. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: $40 million
4. Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers: $37 million
5. Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees: $36 million
6. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels: $35,541,667
T-7. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: $35 million
T-7. Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels: $35 million
9. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: $34.1 million
10. Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins: $33.3 million
T-11. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers: $32.5 million
T-11. Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals: $32.5 million
13. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: $31,818,182
14. Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox: $31,350,000
15. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: $31 million
16. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers: $30,416,667
17. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels: $30 million
18. Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox: $29 million
19. Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies: $27,272,727
T-20. Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers: $27 million
T-20. Carlos Rodon, New York Yankees: $27 million
22. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers: $26,928,571
T-23. Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals: $26 million
T-23. Kris Bryant, Colorado Rockies: $26 million
25. Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres: $25,454,545
26. Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies: $25,384,615
27. Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs: $25,285,714
T-28. Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees: $25 million
T-28. Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers: $25 million
T-28. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays: $25 million
