<P> Rodriguez has signed two record - breaking contracts over the course of his career . First, he signed a $252 million, 10 - year contract with the Texas Rangers in December 2000 ($358,107,826 inflation - adjusted from 2000 dollars). Sandy Alderson called the deal "stupefying", while Sports Illustrated noted that Rodriguez's early salaries under the contract ($21 million) would be greater than the annual payroll of the entire Minnesota Twins team that year ($15.8 million). The deal was the largest sports contract in history, doubling the total value of Kevin Garnett's $126 million National Basketball Association contract (the previous record holder) and more than doubling Mike Hampton's $121 million contract, the previous MLB record which had been signed just days before . The Rangers later traded Rodriguez to the Yankees in exchange for Alfonso Soriano before the 2004 season, though they agreed to pay $67 million of the $179 million outstanding on the contract . Despite this, he opted out of the remainder of his deal after the 2007 season and renegotiated a new $275 million, 10 - year agreement with the Yankees, breaking his own record for the largest sports contract . Under this deal, Rodriguez also receives $6 million each if and when he ties the career home run totals of Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755), and Barry Bonds (762), along with another $6 million for breaking Bonds' mark . </P> <P> First base was the highest - paid position in 2010; regular starters at that position earned an average salary of $9,504,165 in compared to an overall average of $3,014,572 . Pitcher Nolan Ryan was the first player to earn an annual salary above $1 million, signing a $4.5 million, 4 - year contract with the Houston Astros in 1979 . Kirby Puckett and Rickey Henderson signed the first contracts which paid an average of $3 million a year in November 1989, in 1990 Jose Canseco signed for 5 years and $23.5 million, making him the first player to earn an average of $4 million a year . It was until 2010 when the MLB average salary rose above that same mark . Five of the twenty highest - paid players in 2013 were members of the Yankees . Their team payroll for 2013 was $228,835,490, roughly $12 million above the second - largest Los Angeles Dodgers . The Yankees have drawn criticism for their payroll, with some claiming it undermines the parity of MLB . </P> <Table> Key <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 1B </Th> <Td> First baseman </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 2B </Th> <Td> Second baseman </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 3B </Th> <Td> Third baseman </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> SS </Th> <Td> Shortstop </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> LF </Th> <Td> Left fielder </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> CF </Th> <Td> Center fielder </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> RF </Th> <Td> Right fielder </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Catcher </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> SP </Th> <Td> Starting pitcher </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> RP </Th> <Td> Relief pitcher </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> DH </Th> <Td> Designated hitter </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum </Td> </Tr>

Who is the lowest paid major league baseball player