We have concluded our annual off-season simulation, where we take 30 fans and let them run MLB teams under real-world conditions, free to make trades and negotiate free agent contracts. You can read the ground rules here.
I kept track of all the free agent signings, options decisions, and updated team-by-team payrolls in a master sheet you can see here. Here were the 25 largest free agent contracts. Players in bold rejected a Qualifying Offer.
Top 25 free agent contracts
| Player | Team | Deal |
|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Contract |
| Shohei Ohtani | Mets | 15 years, $845M |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Giants | 13 years, $480M |
| Jung-Ho Lee | Padres | 10 years, $260M |
| Aaron Nola | Red Sox | 7 years, $210M |
| Jordan Montgomery | White Sox | 7 years, $196M |
| Shu014dta Imanaga | Padres | 7 years, $160M |
| Sonny Gray | Reds | 6 years, $145M |
| Cody Bellinger | Blue Jays | 6 years, $120M |
| Lucas Giolito | Cubs | 5 years, $105M |
| Blake Snell | Tigers | 5 years, $105M |
| Eduardo Rodriguez | Cardinals | 5 years, $95M |
| Mitch Garver | Marlins | 5 years, $80M |
| Harrison Bader | Tigers | 4 years, $80M |
| Marcus Stroman | White Sox | 4 years, $80M |
| Sean Manaea | Red Sox | 4 years, $75M |
| Matt Chapman | Blue Jays | 4 years, $70M |
| Josh Hader | Cubs | 4 years, $70M |
| Lourdes Gurriel Jr. |