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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 | 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 |
| Shōta 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. | Diamondbacks | 4 years, $64M |
| Teoscar Hernandez | Guardians | 3 years, $50M |
| Michael Wacha | Royals | 3 years, $45M |
| Naoyuki Uwasawa | Royals | 4 years, $44M |
| Brandon Woodruff | Pirates | 3 years, $40M |
| Joe Jimenez | Angels | 3 years, $36M |
| Jorge Soler | Braves | 2 years, $36M |
Here are what each team’s payroll looks like:
2023 Simulation payrolls
| Team | Payroll |
|---|---|
| Team | Payroll |
| Mets | $325,616,667 |
| Yankees | $277,840,000 |
| Red Sox | $235,990,389 |
| Rangers | $228,530,000 |
| Astros | $227,693,333 |
| Cubs | $227,688,333 |
| Blue Jays | $226,905,000 |
| Phillies | $224,437,727 |
| Padres | $220,357,142 |
| Braves | $220,110,000 |
| Dodgers | $205,003,333 |
| White Sox | $193,130,000 |
| Giants | $188,543,077 |
| Cardinals | $179,400,000 |
| Angels | $170,683,333 |
| Tigers | $150,720,000 |
| Mariners | $143,635,000 |
| Twins | $141,785,000 |
| Rockies | $131,900,000 |
| Diamondbacks | $129,740,000 |
| Marlins | $124,630,000 |
| Brewers | $118,880,727 |
| Nationals | $109,921,429 |
| Guardians | $108,566,666 |
| Royals | $97,210,000 |
| Pirates | $95,953,333 |
| Reds | $88,490,417 |
| Rays | $87,196,667 |
| Orioles | $78,236,667 |
| Athletics | $60,553,333 |
| Average | $167,311,586 |
Here I have team-by-team transactions as well as what their rosters may look like now. Who did the best? What team looks poised for a championship?
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