Report: Orioles to pay Davis through 2037
The Baltimore Orioles paid a steep price to bring back the muscle from their 2015 lineup, and according to reports, they'll be on the hook for that money well beyond the duration of Chris Davis' new contract.
Davis will receive annual installments of $17 million per season over the duration of his reported seven-year, $161-million deal, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, followed by $42 million in deferred, interest-free money through 2037.
Olney reports the breakdown in deferred money will be dispersed as follows: Davis will collect $3.5 million per year from 2023 through 2032, and then annual payments of $1.4 million from 2033-37. The franchise record-setting deal is the sixth-largest ever awarded to a first baseman.
| Player | Total | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Miguel Cabrera | $248M | 2016-23 |
| Albert Pujols | $240M | 2012-21 |
| Joey Votto | $225M | 2014-23 |
| Prince Fielder | $214M | 2012-20 |
| Mark Teixeira | $180M | 2009-16 |
| Chris Davis | $161M | 2016-22 |
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports notes that the deferred contract lowers the present-day value of the deal to below $150 million, though if Davis remains a Texas resident, he won't have to pay state income tax on the $42 million in future earnings.
An All-Star in 2013, Davis posted a .923 OPS and went deep 47 times last season, the second time in three years he's led the majors in homers.