Giancarlo Stanton, at age 36, finished a lost season with two postseason strikeouts, but is still in line to collect $25 million from the New York Yankees in the 2027 season, a sum that will make him one of the top 50 highest-paid players in MLB next year.
The final guaranteed year of his $325 million contract arrives after 24 games and two ALDS at-bats, and a $25 million 2028 option still awaits a decision. If the Yankees decide against picking up Stanton’s option, which seems probable, they would owe him a $10 million buyout fee. That brings the total amount Stanton is still owed to $35 million in gross payout.
The $29 million salary Stanton received in 2026 when he barely played at all made him the 20th-highest-paid major leaguer.
The Yankees owe that $25 million in 2027 on the 13-year deal he signed with the Miami Marlins in November 2014, according to FOX Sports. A $10 million buyout attaches to the 2028 option.
Miami still sends New York $10 million a year through 2028, paid as a reimbursement to the Yankees, which trims New York’s real remaining cost to $15 million if they decline, according to Spotrac‘s contract breakdown for Stanton. Gross face value stands at $35 million. Picking up the option would add another $15 million net.
Giancarlo Stanton’s Lost Season for the New York Yankees
Stanton batted .256 with three home runs, 14 RBIs and a .724 OPS across 24 games in 2026, according to StatMuse.
His last regular-season appearance came April 24 at Houston. Calf strains in both legs followed, starting with the right, then the left during rehab, then a third setback that sent him to the 60-day injured list, according to NBC Sports.
The Yankees activated him Sept. 29 and put him on the wild-card series roster. He did not see an at-bat in that series, a two-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox. Then Stanton went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, one at-bat in each of two losses to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series swept by the Rays.
The previous year brought power but few games. He hit .273 with 24 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .944 OPS in 77 games in 2025, according to StatMuse. He remained on the injured list until June 16, according to MLB.com.
Stanton has missed 500 of 1,194 games as a Yankee, or 41.9 percent, according to NBC Sports. The list covers the right biceps, right knee, left hamstring three times, left quadriceps and both calves, plus ankle inflammation, left Achilles tendinitis and elbow tendon pain in both arms. His 2018 debut was the healthy outlier, with 38 home runs and 100 RBIs.
But over the past two seasons, Stanton has sat out 226 of a possible 336 Yankees games, including playoffs, a staggering 67 percent rate of idleness.
How the New York Yankees Acquired Stanton
On Dec. 11, 2017, the Yankees sent second baseman Starlin Castro and minor leaguers Jorge Guzman and José Devers to Miami for Stanton and cash, according to MLB.com. Stanton arrived as the reigning NL MVP after an MLB-best 59 home runs and 132 RBIs.
Miami agreed to pay $30 million only if Stanton skipped his 2020 opt-out, which he did, according to MLB Trade Rumors. He held a full no-trade clause and rejected trades to the Giants and Cardinals first, according to SB Nation.
Miami gave him the contract in 2014 to lock in its franchise cornerstone. New ownership led by Derek Jeter then moved to slash payroll in the 2017 offseason, putting Stanton and his burdensome salary on the market.
Yankees Still Owe Giancarlo Stanton $35 Million After Missing 67% of Games