How does Giancarlo Stanton's record contract compare to other US sports stars?
Major League Baseball the biggest spenders
Last Updated: 18/11/14 6:17pm
In an era where elite-level sportspeople are the beneficiaries of colossal contracts and subject of eye-watering transfer fees, the richest contract in the history of sport is in the process of being signed.
Baseball player Giancarlo Stanton will have his name etched into the record books – for now, at least – after agreeing a 13-year contract worth $325m (£208m). But in the ever-changing world of American sports where records follow baseballs in being smashed out of the park, Stanton may not sit atop the money tree for long.
The 25-year-old Miami Marlins outfielder, one of the hottest prospects in his sport, will sign a deal giving him deeper pockets than baseball peers Alex Rodriguez, who signed a 10-year $275m deal with the New York Yankees in 2007, and Miguel Cabrera, who got a $292m deal with the Detroit Tigers in March this year.
Stanton’s contract comes with an opt-out clause after six years and the Marlins have inserted a no-trade clause. But the contract comes with some risk – Stanton’s season ended 17 games early after being struck in the face by a fast-ball, a routine risk for a hitter but one that could end a career with one brutal throw.
But how does a deal of this magnitude – which makes the likes of Rory McIlroy and your favourite footballers seem short-changed – compare to the other big bucks that have been spent Stateside?
Floyd Mayweather - boxing - $180m+
They don’t call him 'Money' for nothing – and he’ll tell you that himself. Boxing’s pound-for-pound supremo is a pay-per-view kingpin across the Atlantic and the deal he signed with Showtime reflected that. A 30-month, six-fight deal earned him the equivalent of $206m but hasn’t diminished his in-ring competence – the 47-0 undefeated five-weight champion has racked up four more wins since putting pen to paper.
Kobe Bryant - basketball - $136m
Kobe Bryant flirted with free agency in 2004 having won three NBA championships alongside fellow legend Shaquille O’Neal. It would take something big to keep him in Los Angeles – but that’s exactly what happened. Shortly after O’Neal was traded to Miami Heat, Bryant signed a seven-year deal for $136m with the Lakers, a deal which reflects his offensive inventiveness but also his symbolism to an institution that he joined as an 18-year-old. Still amongst the league's top earners after further extending his 2004 mega-deal, Bryant has established himself as an all-time great as well as a very rich individual.
Calvin Johnson - American football - $132m
Anyone known as ‘Megatron’ is likely to be a powerful earner, and that is certainly the case for the Detroit Lions wide receiver after his contract renewal two years ago. Johnson became the symbol of a Lions franchise changing its reputation from strugglers to youthful and exciting, and he was rewarded with a $132m deal from 2012 to 2019. He had come off a stunning season in which he topped league charts for catches and yards, while scoring 16 touchdowns. Recently Johnson broke the Lions’ all-time record for touchdown catches.
Alexander Ovechkin - ice hockey - $124m
The prolific Russian goal-scorer managed to negotiate the NHL’s first $100m deal without even using an agent! With just his parents in tow, the 22-year-old signed a $124m contract for 2009 to 2021 and is still going strong as Capitals’ captain. Alexander The Great even has a limited-movement clause kicks in after several years that will allow him to select a handful of teams at the beginning of each season to which he cannot be traded. It’s not the largest average salary in ice hockey history, but it’s the first contract to guarantee nine digits of income.