Let’s take a quick look and see how much money the Minnesota Twins highest paid players over the years have taken to the bank. Strikes me as kind of odd that six names on this list are pitchers.
1. Joe Mauer has been making $23,000,000 a year from 2011-current. Joe also cashed in for $12,500,000 in 2010 and $10,500,000 in 2009.
2. Justin Morneau was paid at the rate of $15,000,000 per season from 2010-2013 but he also made $11,600,000 in 2009 and $8,400,000 in 2008.
3. Johan Santana made $13,000,000 in his final season in a Twins uniform in 2007.
4. Torii Hunter pocketed a cool $12,000,000 in his last year in a Twins uni in 2007.
4. Ricky Nolasco will make $12,000,000 this season.
6. Joe Nathan took $11,250,000 to the bank from 2009-2011 even though was injured all of 2010.
7. Brad Radke cashed for $10,750,000 in 2004.
8. Michael Cuddyer took $10,500,000 home in 2011 in his final season in Minny.
9. Carl Pavano was paid $9,000,000 in 2012 and he went 2-5 with a 6.00 ERA in the 11 games he started.
10. Rick Reed might not have liked pitching for the Twins but he had no problem taking the $8,000,000 the Twins paid him in 2003.
There were several players that had big buck contracts but their time in Minnesota was so limited they are not on this list. Phil Nevin was making $10,472,409 in 2006 when he played in 16 games as a Twin. Bret Boone was making $9,000,000 in 2005 and he appeared in just 14 Twins games. Brian Fuentes was making $9,000,000 in 2010 but he only appeared in 9 games.
Harmon Killebrew was probably the greatest Minnesota Twins player of them all and here is what Harmon earned over the years that he played. The MLB minimum salary in 1970 was $12,000 and in 2014 it is $500,000. Not a bad job if you can get it.
1954 – $6,000 plus $4,000 bonus 1955 – $6,000 plus $4,000 bonus 1956 – $6,000 plus $4,000 bonus 1957 – $7,000 1958 – $8,000 1959 – $9,000 1960 – $20,000 1961 – $27,000 1962 – $33,000 1963 – $46,000 1964 – $48,000 1965 – $54,000 1966 – $61,000 1967 – $66,000 1968 – $70,000 1969 – $80,000 1970 – $90,000 1971 – $110,000 1972 – $125,000 1973 – $105,000 1974 – $90,000
I would argue Jim Pohlad has been taking a lot of money the last few years and banking it!