Who are the highest paid relief pitchers in Major League Baseball?

Relief pitchers may not receive the same attention as starting pitchers do, but they do take home hefty pay checks. Here are MLB’s highest-paid relievers.

Vincent Carchietta

Gidget Alikpala

Gidget writes for the latest news section of AS USA, covering breaking news and current affairs. She previously worked for TV for many years, both on and off-camera, as anchor, producer, and writer, reporting on topics from international to lifestyle news. She earned her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Update: Nov 7th, 2022 12:46 EST

Relief pitcher Edwin Diaz will stay on with the New York Mets, having signed a record five-year, $102 million contract with the team that includes a $12 million signing bonus. This makes him the highest-paid reliever in the league, with an average salary of $20.4 million per year.

Diaz’s deal provides for a team option for 2028 that would extend it to six-years, $122 million, but the 28-year-old, considered the best MLB closer, can opt out of the agreement after the third year. The contract also includes a no-trade clause.

5 years, $102,000,000 for Edwin Díaz! 🎺🎺🎺
It's the largest contract for a relief pitcher in history! pic.twitter.com/VGv3o5Lg6q
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) November 6, 2022

Edwin Diaz’s numbers

The 2018 AL Reliever of the Year ended the 2022 season with a career-high 1.31 ERA, striking out 118 of 235 batters. Over his four seasons with the Mets, he recorded 356 strikeouts and 96 saves in 208 innings.

MLB teams with multiple World Series titles

MLB

How much money does the 2022 MLB World Series winner get?

With the closer’s agreement, he surpasses the previous amount of $18 million that Liam Hendricks received from the Chicago White Sox before the 2021 campaign.

Edwin Díaz will make about ~$20,000 per game pitch over the next five years if he stays healthy... https://t.co/5SQLCxuSMQ
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) November 7, 2022

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Ryan Pressly of the Houston Astros has the third largest annual salary for relievers at $15 million, followed by Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves at $14.5 million, and Will Smith, also of the Astros, at $13.3 million. Josh Hader of the San Diego Padres rounds out the list of relief pitchers who receive eight figure salaries per year, at $12.2 million.

Highest-paid MLB relief pitchers

PLAYER	TEAM	ANNUAL SALARY
Edwin Diaz	New York Mets	$20.4 million
Liam Hendricks	Chicago White Sox	$18 million
Ryan Pressly	Houston Astros	$15 million
Raisel Iglesias	Atlanta Braves	$14.5 million
Will Smith	Houston Astros	$13.3 million
Josh Hader	San Diego Padres	$12.2 million