Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.
How old is too old for a MLB contract?
Carols Correa and Aaron Judge will be nearly 40 when their new contracts end. Will it be worth it for the Mets and Yankees? Vote in our latest Reacts Survey
Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
The MLB hot stove period is unlike really anything else in sports. The biggest free agents every year find new homes, sometimes landing historic contracts, reshaping the look of the entire league over just a few days. All of this while the bright sunny summer days of the baseball season couldn’t feel further away.
This year was no different. Aaron Judge re-signed with the New York Yankees with one of the biggest contracts in the game. Carlos Correa, pending a physical, signed a 12-year deal with the New York Mets.
For fans, long gone are the days of simply wanting the best players on their favorite team, not caring how much the rich owner has to shell out to make it happen. Fans now are extremely knowledgeable about what a big contract means for the team’s future and its ability to build around a star.
The two biggest factors in a contract are money and years. Obviously the total amount of money given to just one player can limit what else can be done. But length of contract is just as important. Fans know that being locked into a player well beyond their prime can prevent a team from reloading in the future.
The two biggest contracts this offseason, going to Judge and Correa, are for $360 million and $315 million respectively. They also keep both players locked in until at least the age of 39. Correa’s new (and former) teammate Justin Verlander signed a contract with the Mets that keeps the soon-to-be 40-year-old ace on the roster another three seasons.
Contracts of this length aren’t totally new, but for the most part teams have kept from signing a player that keeps them on the roster beyond the age of 40. However, Joey Votto’s deal with the Cincinnati Reds has a team option for his 40-year-old season and Miguel Cabrera is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Detroit Tigers, turning 40 just a few weeks after Opening Day. Most importantly, neither of those future Hall of Fame players have won a World Series with their current teams.
In our latest SB Nation Reacts survey, we want to know what fans think. How old is too old for a contract to last? Also if that big contract results in a World Series, is it all worth it?
Cast your vote now and be on the lookout for results later in the week.
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