Millionaire Yankees players failing to translate big money into stellar show

The Yankees are currently on pace to have their worst season in 31 years (since 1991-92) with a $280-million payroll that includes slugger Aaron Judge, as well as pitchers Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole. Despite boasting the highest payroll in the American League, the team appears likely to miss out on securing a spot in the postseason. They are trailing behind $209-million Toronto, $181-million Boston, $73-million Tampa Bay Rays, and $60-million Baltimore.

Here is a look at how much each of the Yankees‘ big names earns or costs to the team compared to their performance in the 2023 season.

Aaron Judge

• Contract: $360M (9 years)
• Years: 2023-31
• Average Annual Salary: $40,000,000
• Age: 31
• Estimated net worth: $50 million

After securing a record of 62 home runs, the Yankees were expecting a lot following his signing of a big contract. However, his injuries have prevented him from playing a big part this season. In his absence, the Yankees offense has faltered drastically.

Year	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	OPS
2023 Regular Season	211	48	60	21	44	3	.284	.414	1.049
Career Regular Season	2849	583	808	241	541	43	.284	.396	.983

Giancarlo Stanton

• Contract: Yankees took over his contract with Miami Marlins – $325M (13 years)
• Years: 2015-27
• Average Annual Salary: $25,000,000
• Age: 33
• Estimated net worth: $40 million

Having inked baseball’s most lucrative contract at the time after the 2014 season, Stanton spent an additional three years donning the Marlins’ uniform before being dealt to the New York Yankees. In a move to offload the remaining decade of the contract, the Marlins concurred to disburse $30 million, a sum distributed over the years 2026 to 2028.

However, Stanton has been a liability for the Yankees with his injuries taking a toll on his playing time and performance.

Year	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	OPS
2023 Regular Season	240	31	49	18	44	0	.204	.278	.741
Career Regular Season	5477	846	1432	396	1015	42	.261	.351	.885

Gerrit Cole

• Contract: $324M (9 years)
• Years: 2020-28
• Average Annual Salary: $36,000,000
• Age: 32
• Estimated net worth: $55 million

While Gerrit Cole’s excellence has almost become the norm, his ability to adapt and thrive under such unexpected circumstances further highlights his exceptional talent and mental fortitude. The baseball world continues to marvel at his mastery, knowing that when Gerrit Cole takes the mound, greatness is anticipated, even amid the most trying circumstances. The Yankees ace is a top contender for the Cy Young Award this season despite the Yankees’ falling graph.

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2023 Regular Season	10	3	2.75	24	24	0	150.1	160	1.04
Career Regular Season	140	74	3.19	291	291	0	1800.1	2090	1.09

Carlos Rodon

• Contract: $162M (6 years)
• Years: 2023-28
• Average Annual Salary: $22,833,333
• Age: 30
• Estimated net worth: $15 million

Two-time All-Star signed a six-year contract with the New York Yankees on December 21, 2022, worth $162 million including a signing bonus of $5 million. However, his injuries kept him out of the MLB season for four months. When he returned, he defied all expectations both with his return to the injured list and rough outings.

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2023 Regular Season	1	4	7.33	6	6	0	27.0	25	1.52
Career Regular Season	57	50	3.72	158	153	0	874.1	972	1.25

D.J. LeMahieu

• Contract – $90 (6 years)
• Years: 2021-26
• Average Annual Salary: $15,000,000
• Age: 35
• Estimated net worth: $20 million

LeMahieu is on a slump and the Yankees have failed to reset him despite benching him. His bat has remained silent at the time when the Yankees need him the most.

Year	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	OPS
2023 Regular Season	346	35	83	8	29	0	.240	.315	.688
Career Regular Season	5652	844	1659	115	610	91	.294	.354	.769

Luis Severino

• Contract $40M (4 years + 1-year club option)
• Years: 2019-22-23
• Average Annual Salary: $15,000,000
• Age: 29
• Estimated net worth: $10 million

Luis Severino held a 7.74 ERA over 13 starts this season. His struggles were particularly evident in the first inning, where he carried a daunting 13.85 ERA with opponents posting a .436/.507/.790 slash line against him. The Yankees starter holds the worst statistics among pitchers for ERA (14.79), opposing batting average (.441), opposing on-base percentage (.506), and opposing slugging percentage (.824) in their first inning of work in the league this season.

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	SO	WHIP
2023 Regular Season	2	7	8.06	14	13	0	63.2	56	1.88
Career Regular Season	52	36	3.81	136	120	0	701.2	765	1.19

Gleyber Torres

• Contract – $9.95M (1 year)
• Years: 2023
• Average Annual Salary: $9,950,000
• Age: 26
• Estimated net worth: $5 million

Despite being linked to trade deals over almost a year, he keeps on producing for the Yankees. He has proved to be game-winner in a few games. However, his performance is not that consistent and the All-Star snub proves it.

Year	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	OPS
2023 Regular Season	430	64	116	18	48	9	.270	.336	.780
Career Regular Season	2528	354	672	116	358	45	.266	.332	.785

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

• Contract: $6 (1 year)
• Years: 2023
• Average Annual Salary: $6,000,000
• Age: 28
• Estimated net worth: $2 million

Despite Aaron Judge‘s return to the lineup, the Yankees’ standout performer of 2023 might not be who you expect. That honor belongs to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. His remarkable transformation from being the most reviled player on a team to becoming a beloved fan favorite within a single year should not be underestimated. Kiner-Falefa has showcased his versatility for the Yankees by making appearances as a pitcher in four games this season, conceding only one run on four hits. Although his batting average of .253 and OPS of .696 may not be standout figures, they hold value for a player capable of seamlessly adapting to various positions. The Yankees certainly appreciate his offensive contributions, given his versatile role.  Kiner-Falefa managed to achieve what several predecessors could not – he successfully reclaimed the backing of the fanbase.

Year	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	OPS
2023 Regular Season	244	36	62	6	31	9	.254	.325	.698
Career Regular Season	2131	270	560	26	197	69	.263	.317	.667

Harrison Bader

• Contract: St. Louis Cardinals – $10.4 (2 years), Yankees traded for him
• Years: 2023-28
• Average Annual Salary: $5,200,000
• Age: 29
• Estimated net worth: $2 million

His contract also includes big incentives, such as $250,000 each for 350, 400, and 450, and $500,000 each for 500, 550, and 600 plate appearances. He gets added bonus of $250,000 each for 85, 98, and 111, and $500,000 each for 124, 137, and 150 games.

Despite his potential as both an offensive and defensive asset, he remains injury prone and this continues to reduce his reliability for the Yankees.

Year	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	OPS
2023 Regular Season	230	34	61	7	36	12	.265	.300	.717
Career Regular Season	1806	263	447	59	213	69	.248	.315	.722

Josh Donaldson

• Contract: Minnesota Twins – $92M (4 years + 1-year club option of $6 million + incentives/bonus), Yankees acquired
• Years: 2019-23+24
• Average Annual Salary: $21,000,000
• Age: 37
• Estimated net worth: $35 million

By the conclusion of the first half of the season, Josh Donaldson had become the primary target of booing from Yankees fans, a situation reminiscent of the reaction when the team designated Aaron Hicks for assignment in mid-May. It was a rapid decline for the three-time All-Star and 2016 American League MVP. The Yankees had acquired Donaldson, along with the substantial financial commitment of around $50 million, in a multi-player trade with the Twins during the start of spring training in 2022, but unfortunately, he failed to meet expectations. Last year, Donaldson’s performance was underwhelming, with a batting average of just .222, 15 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .682 OPS in 132 games, despite being a strong defensive player.

Anthony Rizzo

• Contract – $40M (2 years + club option)
• Years: 2023-24+25
• Average Annual Salary: $17,000,000
•  Age: 34
• Estimated net worth: $30 million

Rizzo is facing the worst phase of life following injury and a prolonged slump. He began well for the Yankees but suddenly hit a downward trend. Up until June, Anthony Rizzo was performing impressively, boasting a slash line of .304/.376/.505 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI. However, since then, spanning 46 games, his performance has noticeably declined, with a slash line of .172/.271/.225, accompanied by just one home run and nine RBI.

Yankees player-wise salary details

PLAYERS	AGE	POS.	BASE SALARY	SIGNING BONUS	PAYROLL SALARY	ADJ. SALARY	PAYROLL %	LUX. TAX SALARY
Aaron Judge	31	CF	$40,000,000	–	$40,000,000	$40,000,000	14.33	40,000,000
Gerrit Cole	32	SP	$36,000,000	–	$36,000,000	$36,000,000	12.89	36,000,000
Giancarlo Stanton	33	RF	$32,000,000	–	$32,000,000	$32,000,000	11.46	22,000,000
D.J. LeMahieu	34	3B	$15,000,000	–	$15,000,000	$15,000,000	5.37	15,000,000
Luis Severino	29	SP	$15,000,000	–	$15,000,000	$15,000,000	5.37	12,250,000
Gleyber Torres	26	2B	$9,950,000	–	$9,950,000	$9,950,000	3.56	9,950,000
Isiah Kiner-Falefa	28	SS	$6,000,000	–	$6,000,000	$6,000,000	2.15	6,000,000
Tommy Kahnle	33	RP	$5,750,000	–	$5,750,000	$5,750,000	2.06	5,750,000
Harrison Bader	29	CF	$4,700,000	$500,000	$5,200,000	$5,200,000	1.86	5,200,000
Wandy Peralta	31	RP	$3,350,000	–	$3,350,000	$3,350,000	1.20	3,350,000
Clay Holmes	30	RP/CL	$3,300,000	–	$3,300,000	$3,300,000	1.18	3,300,000
Nestor Cortes	28	SP	$3,200,000	–	$3,200,000	$3,200,000	1.15	3,200,000
Jonathan Loaisiga	28	RP	$2,262,500	–	$2,262,500	$2,262,500	0.81	2,262,500
Kyle Higashioka	33	C	$1,462,500	–	$1,462,500	$1,462,500	0.52	1,462,500
Michael King	28	RP	$1,300,000	–	$1,300,000	$1,300,000	0.47	1,300,000
Clarke Schmidt	27	SP	$740,475	–	$740,475	$740,475	0.27	740,475
Albert Abreu	27	RP	$738,700	–	$738,700	$738,700	0.26	738,700
Ian Hamilton	28	RP	$720,000	–	$720,000	$720,000	0.26	720,000
Anthony Volpe	22	SS	$720,000	–	$720,000	$720,000	0.26	720,000
Oswaldo Cabrera	24	LF	$742,750	–	$742,750	$678,810	0.24	678,810
Jake Bauers	27	1B	$720,000	–	$720,000	$600,005	0.21	600,005
Nick Ramirez	33	RP	$720,000	–	$720,000	$541,940	0.19	541,940
Greg Allen	30	OF	$720,000	–	$720,000	$522,585	0.19	522,585
Ben Rortvedt	25	C	$730,000	–	$730,000	$498,475	0.18	498,475
Billy McKinney	28	OF	$720,000	–	$720,000	$449,036	0.16	449,036
Keynan Middleton	29	RP	$750,000	–	$750,000	$245,952	0.09	245,952
Carlos Rodon (15-day, Hamstring)	30	SP	$22,000,000	$833,333	$22,833,333	$22,833,333	8.18	27,000,000
Josh Donaldson (60-day, Calf)	37	3B	$21,000,000	–	$21,000,000	$21,000,000	7.52	25,000,000
Anthony Rizzo (7-day, Concussion)	33	1B	$17,000,000	–	$17,000,000	$17,000,000	6.09	20,000,000
Frankie Montas (60-day, Shoulder)	30	SP	$7,500,000	–	$7,500,000	$7,500,000	2.69	7,500,000
Lou Trivino (60-day, Elbow)	31	RP	$4,100,000	–	$4,100,000	$4,100,000	1.47	4,100,000
Jose Trevino (60-day, Wrist)	30	C	$2,360,000	–	$2,360,000	$2,360,000	0.85	2,360,000
Scott Effross (60-day, Elbow-tommy-john)	29	RP	$742,750	–	$742,750	$742,750	0.27	742,750
Luis Gil (60-day, Elbow-tommy-john)	25	SP	$723,400	–	$723,400	$723,400	0.26	723,400
Ryan Weber (60-day, Arm)	32	RP	$720,000	–	$720,000	$557,424	0.20	557,424

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