When the Yankees went shopping in the winter of 2008, they weren’t browsing — they were buying. Mark Teixeira arrived in the Bronx on a fully guaranteed, 8-year, $180 million contract signed December 23, 2008, locking him in through the 2016 season at $22.5 million per year. He was the offensive anchor New York needed at first base, part of a blockbuster offseason that also brought in CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. The result: a World Series title in 2009.
How the Contract Was Built
The structure is about as clean as contracts get. Eight years, fully guaranteed, no performance bonuses, no escalators — what you see is what Teixeira collected every season. The deal also included a no-trade clause, giving him veto power over any transaction. In MLB, a 100% guaranteed contract means every dollar is owed regardless of injuries, performance, or roster moves. Teixeira was protected from day one.
- Team: New York Yankees
- Signed: December 23, 2008
- Length: 8 years
- Seasons covered: 2009–2016
- Total guaranteed value: $180 million
- Average annual value: $22.5 million
- No-trade clause: Yes
Where Teixeira Ranks Among MLB’s All-Time Earners
Over the course of his big-league career, Teixeira pulled in $222 million in total MLB salary — base pay, signing bonuses, and earned bonuses included. That puts him at No. 26 on the all-time earnings list, according to data from Spotrac and Baseball-Reference (as of August 11, 2026). It’s a firmly upper-tier ranking, even if it falls short of the sport’s absolute top-dollar names.
Rankings are calculated on total guaranteed contract value, without discounting deferred money.
The Path to the Big Payday
Before landing in New York, Teixeira didn’t have a long-term megadeal on his résumé. The Yankees’ offer was the market acknowledging him as one of the best first basemen of his generation. The $180 million contract became the foundation of his career earnings, and his $222 million total reflects both that anchor deal and everything he collected across his stops in MLB before retiring.
