MLB is giving money to older players as baseball gets younger

Carlos Correa is the 16th free agent this winter to sign a contract that pays through at least age 36. Teams spent $896 million on 41 players age at or older this year. Jason Heyward, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer were released.

MLB is giving money to older players as baseball gets younger. Trea Turner is a $30-million-a-year player, but the Phillies cut his AAV to $27.2 million by giving him an 11-years contract that will pay him through age 40. The NL's adopting the DH in 2022 allows all teams to rationalize megadeals. Sport science is supposed to keep players producing at an advanced age. There is no evidence that it is working. The number of players 36 and older were productive in each season is rare. It is the rarest they have been in 50 years.

Baseball was a young man's game in the 1960s and 1970s. The steroid era extended careers. Last season only four productive older players were productive. In 2004 there were 19. In 14 years after the steroid's peak, the number of productive old players has been cut by more than half.

MLB is giving money to older players as baseball gets younger. The steroid era extended careers. Last season saw only four productive older player: Justin Turner, Carlos Santana, Justin Verlander and Adam Wainwright. In 2004 there were 19.

MLB is giving money to older players as baseball gets younger. The past six seasons have seen only 15 older productive hitters, an average of 2.5 per year.

MLB is giving money to older players as baseball gets younger. The average age of a hitter last season was 28.3. In 2004, it was 29. 3. Since 2000, the average hitter's age has been no higher than 28:4.

2004 (10): Moises Alou, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Vinny Castilla, Steve Finley, and Jeff Kent. 2010 (2): Carlos Santana and Justin Turner.

MLB is giving money to older players as baseball gets younger. At least eight players will be 36 or older on current contracts by 2031.

MLB is giving money to older players as baseball gets younger.

Albert Pujols' $24 million AAV was equivalent to $28.3 million in 21st century.

In 2022 and 23, 11 contracts worth at least $100 million over five or more years will have ended. The incentive for clubs is accounting and the cost of acquiring the player. The newest class of players with megacontracts includes more money at more advanced ages.