Next Athletes Who Are About to Get Overpaid
There's so much money in professional sports that even athletes who shouldn't be getting paid millions of dollars make even more than any of us probably think.
While rewarding a person for a job well done is part of business, some players find themselves the beneficiary of a market that's set by a player of better value, leading a team to overpay for a player with less skills.
We see it all the time, year after year, and these are the next names who could find themselves really, really rich—even if it's a little too much cash.
Andrew Luck
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Sure, there are parameters that the Indianapolis Colts will have to follow when signing star quarterback Andrew Luck to a new deal because of the league's salary cap, but that hasn't stopped team owner Jim Irsay from telling WISH-TV that the contract will be "shocking," via the team's official site. [h/t NFL.com]
Luck is still just 26 years old and considered the future of the league at the premier position, but whatever amount of money he's going to get will be insanely overpriced.
The guy has broken a bunch of records up to this point, so he's well worth getting a monster contract. But, unlike Russell Wilson who signed a big deal in 2015, Luck hasn't gotten his team to a Super Bowl yet, meaning he still hasn't done enough to warrant the highest-paid player label.
Then again, when a team identifies its franchise quarterback, that organization will pay nearly anything to keep him around.
Mat Latos
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Chicago White Sox starter Mat Latos sure did pick the right time to have a bounce-back season, didn't he?
Following a pretty good start to his MLB career a couple years ago with the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds where he went a combined 60-45 with an ERA of 3.48, Latos regressed in 2015 as a member of three separate teams, making him expendable.
This season, Latos has returned to his former self, getting off to a 6-1 start with a 4.02 ERA. At 28 years old and earning $3 million on his one-year deal with the White Sox, someone will absolutely pay this kid handsomely once he hits the free-agent market again this offseason.
Problem is, it'll probably be a little higher than he deserves—especially if he doesn't maintain this level of play.
Aroldis Chapman
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Despite off-the-field issues that followed him to the New York Yankees this past offseason after being traded by the Cincinnati Reds, flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman has still been his normal self in 2016.
Recently blowing his first save in 10 chances this past weekend, Chapman isn't as feared as he was when he first broke into the big leagues several years ago, but scouts and opposing general managers are still drooling over his 100-plus mile per hour fastball.
After his suspension for the first 30 games of this season, Chapman's now in the driver's seat in terms of how much money he'll be able to make this offseason when his one-year deal with the Yanks expires.
Here's a bet—it's a hell of a lot because you know someone will give him $15 million or more.
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Ben Bishop
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Tampa Bay Lightning's Ben Bishop has done just about everything a team could ask of their goaltender over the past few years.
Manning the pipes for a team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016, Bishop deserves a raise over his current $5.95 million/year salary after going a combined 112-48 with a 2.20 GAA these past three years.
Just how much is he worth, though?
Whether it's the Lightning or another team that answers that question, I could very well see Bishop getting thrown a lot of money by a bad team to take over their starting spot with a promise to not split time like he currently is in Tampa with the younger Andrei Vasilevskiy.
If that's the case, hockey fans know the deal will be insane.
Chandler Jones
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Very quietly, defensive end Chandler Jones racked up 12.5 sacks in 2015 and finished fifth in the NFL in that category while a member of the New England Patriots.
Unfortunately, whether it was his off-the-field issues or because he priced himself out of the Patriots' salary cap expectations, Jones was shipped to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, where he'll get a chance to prove he's a premier pass-rusher for another Super Bowl contender.
Due to make $7.8 million in the final year of his current deal, the 26-year-old, former first-rounder could find himself getting double that on the open market if he has the type of year he did last season, earning himself a lucrative deal that would put him among the highest-paid at his position.
Bryce Harper
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There's no denying that Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is the best ballplayer in the game right now, displaying skills that only a few in previous generations have.
And while Harper is busy trying to make baseball fun again for the foreseeable future having already won a league MVP award, the fact that some around the game believe that he'll be inking a new deal that could be in the $750 million range is just insane.
Harper, who's still just 23 years old and the superstar many predicted he would be years ago when he was taken No. 1 overall in 2010, has proven himself on and off the field, but to give that much guaranteed money to a guy just doesn't seem right.
Remember when Alex Rodriguez signed that 10-year, $252 million deal in 2000 with the Texas Rangers—which was the biggest in sports history at the time? Yeah, a deal like this for Harper would make that seem like chump change.
Harrison Barnes
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This one comes with a caveat because Golden State Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes will only be a restricted free agent this offseason—meaning the Dubs can match any offer sheet another team tosses his way.
On paper, Barnes fits the mold of a player that most teams covet.
He's long, athletic and plays for a battle-tested team which has played in the NBA Finals the past two seasons, meaning he could bring that experience with him to an up-and-coming franchise who wants to hand him a max deal.
Problem is, Barnes might not be the player everyone expected him to be when he was taken No. 7 overall in 2012. He might best be suited to be a stud role player who starts on a championship level team, but isn't supposed to be paid like the man.
Time will tell with this one, but Harrison Barnes may be getting silly money because of his upside at just 24 years old.
Jamie Benn
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His Dallas Stars teammate, Tyler Seguin, might be better known in casual hockey circles, but make no mistake, Jamie Benn is an absolute superstar in the NHL.
Sure, playing alongside Seguin benefits both players and helps increase their offensive numbers, but that happens with every great player, so Benn should take full advantage—especially when it comes to negotiating his next deal.
A free agent this summer, Benn could easily become the next member of the $10 million/year salary club, joining only a few others with that distinction.
While that would double his current salary of $5.25 million annually, the 26-year-old left-winger is worth the high price after averaging 85 points over the past three seasons, meaning he's going to get his first taste of superstardom on the open market with offers that will blow his mind.
Carlos Gomez
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Averaging 20 long balls over the past three seasons, current Houston Astros slugger Carlos Gomez has proven he can be inserted into the middle of any lineup and deliver the pop his team wants—and he's about to get paid for his services.
At 30 years old, Gomez is on the hook for one last major deal where teams will expect similar averages to what he has done over the course of his career.
He can be a bit of a head case who can lose his cool because he plays with such passion, but that won't scare teams off from giving him a big pay raise above his current $9 million/year since bona fide sluggers like him don't hit the open market every year.
Gomez hasn't gotten off to the start he or the 'stros would have hoped for, so it'll be interesting to see if he can turn it around.
Hassan Whiteside
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There's no denying the fact that Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside has plenty of talent.
After averaging 13 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks over the past two years with Miami, the 26-year-old big man has everything a team would want to build around him in the middle for the next decade.
Well, except his composure.
That's the biggest question mark surrounding Whiteside and the max contract debate, as he seems to lack the maturity to hand over millions of dollars to.
As we've seen plenty of times in the past, though, this kid will get paid because of the production he has on the basketball court, so some team—Heat or otherwise—will ink him to a big-time deal that they hope won't comeback to bite them in a couple of years.
Kirk Cousins
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After, seemingly, coming out of nowhere to steal the starting quarterback job from Robert Griffin III last season, Washington Redskins' Kirk Cousins didn't just settle for being a placeholder for a season, he went out and played like a franchise signal-caller.
Throwing for 29 touchdowns against 11 interceptions and leading the league in completion percentage, Cousins led the Skins to the playoffs for the first time since RG3's rookie year in 2012-13, becoming the new face of the franchise after asking everyone if "they liked that" stuff he was doing.
Here's the predicament for the Skins, though—dude is about to get paid.
And I'm not talking a couple millions, but lots and lots of millions, as the team used its franchise tag on Cousins—which is for $19.95 million in 2016—and hope to sign him to something long-term soon.
With just one season as a starter, many wonder what Kirk Cousins is worth. One thing's for sure, though, the 27-year-old will cash in whether he stays in D.C. or becomes unrestricted in the next year or two.
Bismack Biyombo
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Want to know how much clout a breakout season by both a playoff-caliber team taking its next step and a player who performs on that big stage can have? Look no further than Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo.
The 23-year-old, five-year big man enjoyed a solid season for the Raptors as they captured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and reached the Conference Finals for the first time ever, leading some execs to think that he's set for an outrageous payday.
Try $17 million-plus, according to some execs via Sporting News.
Although Biyombo has a player option for next season after signing a deal with the Raptors last summer, with the amount of cash many think he'll command on the open market, he'll obviously explore what options are there for him—which should lead to instant baller status.
Limited offensively, Bismack Biyombo's contract situation is an intriguing one to watch this summer.
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