The top salaries and contracts in baseball history, by annual salary and by total contract (last updated December 2008):
*-Rodriguez renegotiated his contract before the 2008 season.
Top Baseball Salaries
| Player | Team | Signed in | Annual salary |
| 1. Alex Rodriguez | Yankees | 2008 | $27.5 million |
| 2. Alex Rodriguez | Rangers | 2001 | $25.2 million |
| 3. CC Sabathia | Yankees | 2009 | $23 million |
| 4. Johan Santana | Mets | 2008 | $22.9 million |
| 5. Mark Teixeira | Yankees | 2009 | $22.5 million |
| 6. Manny Ramirez | Red Sox | 2001 | $20 million |
| 7. Miguel Cabrera | Tigers | 2008 | $19 million |
| 8. Derek Jeter | Yankees | 2001 | $18.9 million |
| T9. Barry Zito | Giants | 2007 | #18 million |
| T9. Vernon Wells | Blue Jays | 2007 | $18 million |
| T9. Ichiro Suzuki | Mariners | 2008 | $18 million |
| Player | Team | Signed in | Contract |
| 1. Alex Rodriguez | Yankees | 2008 | 10 years, $275 million |
| 2. Alex Rodriguez | Rangers | 2001 | 10 years, $252 million* |
| 3. Derek Jeter | Yankees | 2001 | 10 years, $189 million |
| 4. Mark Teixeira | Yankees | 2009 | 8 years, $180 million |
| 5. CC Sabathia | Yankees | 2009 | 7 years, $161 million |
| 6. Manny Ramirez | Red Sox | 2001 | 8 years, $160 million |
| 7. Miguel Cabrera | Tigers | 2008 | 8 years, $152.3 million |
| 8. Todd Helton | Rockies | 2001 | 11 years, $141.5 million |
| 9. Johan Santana | Mets | 2008 | 6 years, $137.5 million |
| 10. Alfonso Soriano | Cubs | 2007 | 8 years, $136 million |
