Baseball catchers are some of the toughest athletes in any sport. And while they aren’t taking knocks coming across the middle of a field like wide receivers in football, catchers are required to squat behind a plate for hours and take foul balls or wild pitches off of any part of their bodies, leaving them with tons of bruises. And while some may feel sorry for them, after seeing how much a few guys have made per year, it might be time to rethink that sympathy. Here are the highest annual salaries for catchers in MLB history.
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20. Chris Iannetta – $5.18 million
Signing a three-year, $15.55 million extension with the L.A. Angels in 2012, Chris Iannetta found himself with both a pay increase and a chance at making a heck of a lot more money. Seemingly getting better in each of the past couple of seasons since the extension, Iannetta is a pretty good bargain for the Halos, making $5.18 million in 2014.
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19. John Buck – $6 million
With one All-Star selection and a postseason opportunity with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013, John Buck has had a pretty solid 11-year career in the big leagues. Batting just .234 in all those years, he provides great leadership for whichever team he’s on, with him making as much as $6 million in both 2012 and 2013 for doing bring those types of attributes.
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18. Chris Snyder – $6.25 million
While catcher Chris Snyder was never a star in his 10 years in the big leagues, he still got paid quite well considering his split duty behind the plate. Showing decent power in the games that he did start, Snyder earned as much as $6.25 million in 2011 with the Pittsburgh PIrates, which, surprisingly, is a pretty good bargain for a catcher these days.
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17. Kurt Suzuki – $6.45 million
Earning his first career All-Star selection in 2014, Minnesota Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki is a guy who has certainly worked his way up to where he is now. After getting limited opportunities for several seasons, his breakout 2014 campaign may not have helped the Twins win many more games, but he helped in the leadership department with a young pitching staff.
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16. Jarrod Saltalamacchia – $7 million
After three-straight seasons for the Boston Red Sox in which he hit at least 14 home runs and drove in a minimum of 56 runs, Jarrod Saltalamacchia signed with the Miami Marlins prior to 2014, earning a three-year, $21 million deal. His first season in South Beach wasn’t too bad in terms of production, belting 11 homers and picking up 44 RBI, but his batting average was just .220, proving he probably needs another year to adjust to NL pitching.
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15. Kenji Johjima – $7.66 million
After a successful career in the Japanese League, former catcher Kenji Johjima came to the States to help extend his career and show the big leagues what he was all about. And he did pretty well for a few seasons before injuries hampered his career. In four seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Johjima batted .268 and hit 48 career homers, while having a peak salary of $7.66 million in 2009.
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14. A.J. Pierzynski – $8.25 million
One of the most disliked players in the league thanks to his feistiness and blue-collar attitude, A.J. Pierzynski replaced the aforementioned Jarrod Saltalamacchia in Boston prior to the season, hoping to give the Red Sox rotation a better all-around catcher. Unfortunately, Pierzynski found himself on a team with serious struggles, and, ultimately, got traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he made the postseason with them in 2014.
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13. Ramon Hernandez – $8.5 milion
A one-time All-Star selection, catcher Ramon Hernandez enjoyed a pretty successful 15-year career, which included a few trips to the postseason. Earning a lot of money during his time in the big leagues, Hernandez enjoyed a salary that paid him $8.5 million back in 2009, proving that, while he didn’t get as much recognition nationally, he was, in fact, one of the game’s best catchers.
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12. Carlos Ruiz – $8.5 million
Not too many people outside of Philadelphia probably know how solid a player Carlos Ruiz is. One of the game’s best catchers—especially on the defensive side—Ruiz might not bring a lot of pop to the batter’s box, but with three, top-30 finishes in NL MVP voting in his nine-year career, he has shown just how valuable of a player he is. For that, the Phillies happily gave him a three-year, $26 million deal last offseason.
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11. Russell Martin – $8.5 million
There’s no other word to describe Russell Martin other than a gamer, because that’s exactly what he is. With great leadership and decent stats, Martin has earned three All-Star trips in his nine-year career, and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates reach the postseason the past two seasons, which ended their 20-plus year drought. For that reason, he earned $8.5 million in 2014 and just inked a big deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this year that will pay him as much as $20 million in the final three years.
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10. Jason Varitek – $11 million
One of my all-time favorite players, Jason Varitek was the heart and soul of the Boston Red Sox for 15 years, earning three All-Star trips and winning two World Series titles. In fact, his guts to stand up to Alex Rodriguez and cause in 2004 against the New York Yankees is what helped spark his teammates to break the 86-year World Series curse. For that, alone, he was well-worth the money he earned, with him peaking at $11 million in 2007.
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9. Miguel Montero – $12 million
A two-time All-Star, Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero has proven to be a consistent player during his nine-year career. Much like the aforementioned Carlos Ruiz, Montero doesn’t bring too much pop, but he has a pension for driving in his teammates, with a few seasons of 70-plus RBI. With great leadership and production, the D-backs gave him a five-year deal worth $60 million back in 2012.
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8. Jason Kendall – $12.85 million
A former, three-time All-Star who played 15 years in the big leagues, Jason Kendall was one of the grittiest players of the past couple of decades. While he never did just one thing great, he was consistent in nearly every facet of the game, which is a main reason he stuck around for as long as he did. With a few big contracts from his playing days, he peaked at $12.85 million in 2007 with the Oakland Athletics.
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7. Jorge Posada – $13.10 million
A five-time All-Star selection and four-time World Series champion, former New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was Mr. Reliable for 17 season behind the plate for the Yanks. Reaching a peak salary of $13.10 million to close out his career in each of his past four seasons, Posada was well-worth the price tag to the team, showing he was consistent and a big-time leader.
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6. Yadier Molina – $15 million
Reaching the All-Star Game the past six seasons and earning a Gold Glove in seven-straight years, it’s proof that St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is the real deal. Helping the team win two World Series in his 11 years in the baseball-crazed city hasn’t hurt, either, which is why the team is happy to have written him a check for $15 million this past season.
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5. Mike Napoli – $16 million
Fear the beard, pitchers, because Boston Red Sox catcher Mike Napoli has shown to be quite the additions since coming over from the Texas Rangers prior to the 2013 season. A former All-Star, Napoli has thrived in Beantown, earning the love of fans and being praised by teammates for his leadership. And while he’s probably a bit overpaid at $16 million for 2014 and 2015, the team is happy to have him on their side.
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4. Mike Piazza – $16.07 million
One of the game’s best hitting catchers ever, former player Mike Piazza should find himself in the Hall of Fame at some point soon. With 427 career homers and a .308 batting average over his 16 years, Piazza was quite the force at the dish. And while he never won a World Series title, he did reach the Fall Classic once with the New York Mets in 2000 and made a lot of money in his time. His peak came in both 2004 and 2005, when the Mets paid him $16.07 million both seasons.
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3. Brian McCann – $17 million
Signing a big deal with the New York Yankees during the 2013 offseason, the club got one of the best catchers of the past decade with Brian McCann. A seven-time All-Star, McCann can put up big-time power numbers, as he has hit at least 20 homers in eight of the past nine years. And with the Yanks having a short porch down the right field line for lefty batters, McCann should take advantage of that perk for the next few seasons in the Big Apple.
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2. Buster Posey – $18.55 million
There are many who believe that San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey might just be the next Derek Jeter. Sure, they don’t play the same position or even act the same on or off the field, but because of his winning, Posey has proven to be one of the game’s best leaders. With an NL MVP on his resume and three World Series titles at the ripe, young age of 27 years old, Posey has shown why the Giants paid him $18.55 million in 2014, as he guided the pitching staff to a championship this season.
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1. Joe Mauer – $23 Million
Unfortunately, Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins isn’t as valuable as his $23 million salary might have one believe. While he is a hometown kid who hopes to help the Twins win a World Series, he hasn’t lived up to the massive deal he signed with the team a few years ago. Sure, he has earned a few All-Star nods for himself, but the team has struggled, winning an average of 66 games in the four years since he received the deal. Still, he is the highest-paid catcher in MLB history, so that’s something he should be proud of—I suppose.
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