“Been a bad contract for a while” - MLB insider exposes brutal truth about Yankees $325M hitter

It has been eleven seasons since Giancarlo Stanton agreed to a 13-year $325 million contract with the Miami Marlins, at that time the most lucrative contract in sports history. Eight of those seasons have come with the New York Yankees but unfortunately, Stanton hasn't been able to reach the same standards he set for himself when he signed the mega deal.

After his 2017 season, when he stormed to 59 home runs and 132 RBIs, Stanton was adjudged the National League MVP. The Marlins, seeing a good window of opportunity, traded him to the Yankees.

However, in the Bronx, injuries have marred his continuity in the lineup as the slugger has managed an 11.0 bWAR in those eight years, compared to the 35.9 bWAR with the Marlins in the same time frame.

According to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, Stanton's contract was the eighth ugliest deal in the MLB. He noted that Stanton hasn't added value to the roster, having played most of his Yankees career as the team's Designated Hitter.

"The hard truth is the Yankees are paying a DH like he’s an all-around star," he wrote in his column on Monday. "It’s been a bad contract for a while."

During his MLB career, Stanton has started 520 games as the team's DH. But 384 of those games have come since 2021. In the fourteen seasons that he has competed as an outfielder at least once, Stanton has managed a .981 fielding percentage, well below the average .986 fielding percentage by outfielders.

Cody Stavenhagen feels Stanton has done just enough to keep his place in Yankees roster

According to Stavenhagen, Stanton has had sporadic bouts at the plate where he has shown his potential. Noteworthy should be their 2024 postseason run, when he hit 7 home runs and 16 RBIs as the Yankees made their way to the World Series.

"Stanton has hit enough to keep this arrangement palatable — and it helps that the Marlins are still paying part of his salary — but he’s heading into the back half of his 30s, and the Yankees are still seeking to reassert themselves as a championship team," he added.

Heading into the 2026 season, Stanton is expected to be paid $29 million with the Marlins, as per the contract, paying $10 million of it. But the majority of the contract, including the last five years, during which he was paid $154 million, but played only once more than 114 games in a regular season, has been taken up by the Yankees.