Sports

NFL, MLB teams tossing money around today

Stuart Dezenhall Contributor
Font Size:

Not one, not two, but three huge contracts were signed in the sports world today, and more could soon follow.

Former AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander signed a seven-year, $180 million contract to stay in Detroit after leading the team to the World Series this past season.

Verlander has been the epitome of dominance in his career and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Tigers could be gambling with the longevity of the contract that will run through his age 37 season, but barring an injury, the deal could turn out to be a bargain. The contract makes Verlander the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history and seems to have gone to the right man.

The team that just beat Verlander in the 2012 World Series signed one of their young stalwarts today, as well. The San Francisco Giants inked catcher Buster Posey to a nine-year, $167 million deal to remain in the Bay Area.

Posey has helped lead the Giants to two World Series Championships in his three full years in the majors. He won last season’s NL MVP after winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2010.

Posey will be 35 when the contract expires, and nine years is an awfully long deal to give to a player at a position that tends not to age well. However, Posey has shown some versatility defensively and could always switch to first base if his knees start to give out behind the plate.

Switching to the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys have committed themselves to quarterback Tony Romo for an additional six years with a $108 million price tag that runs through his age 39-season. Romo has put up very good statistics throughout his Cowboys career, but has been more recognized for his tendency to play his worst when Dallas needs his best. Romo has led Dallas to a whopping one playoff victory in seven years as the primary Cowboys signal caller.

This outbreak of huge deals come just as the Green Bay Packers are reportedly nearing a deal to make star quarterback Aaron Rodgers the highest-paid player in NFL history.

Follow Stuart on Twitter