Bret Saberhagen

While Bonilla is the more famous long-term Mets salary obligation, pitcher Bret Saberhagen was the original and the inspiration for Bonilla’s contract. When Saberhagen negotiated a contract extension in 1993, he insisted on a signing bonus of $2.5 million and also payments of $250,000 per year for 25 years. The payments are from 2004 through 2028, when Saberhagen will be 63 years old.

Considering he only won 21 games during the term of his contract, this deal definitely favored Saberhagen. It was hardly his fault, as he put together relatively good numbers. Regardless, the Mets got the short end of the stick yet again.