4. Giancarlo Stanton – Miami Marlins, Major League Baseball:
The Marlins thought it wise to sign Stanton to a 13-years, $325,000,000 million deal in November 2014, the largest total contract in team sports history at the time. It averaged $25,000,000 a season and $154,320.99 a game.
He hit .281 with 59 home runs and 132 RBI in 2017, winning the MVP award for the National League. But the Marlins traded him to New York after the season, making him only the second player in Major League history to be traded after a 50-home run year. It’s fair to wonder why Miami lavished such a long, expensive contract on Stanton only to trade him after he had his best statistical output of all-time.