Monster MLB Contracts Are Coming Back To Bite A Bunch Of Teams This Year

The New York Mets announced yesterday that starting pitcher Johan Santana has a tear in his pitching shoulder and will likely miss the entire 2013 season (via NYTimes.com). Unfortunately for Major League Baseball, Santana is just the latest high-priced superstar that won't be in uniform when the season starts.

In addition to Santana, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees will also be on the disabled list to start the year. Those three players represent three of the seven highest-paid players in baseball and will make a combined $76.0 million this season.

The Yankees have been particularly vulnerable this year. In addition to Rodriguez and Teixeira, they will have three other high-priced players on the DL to start the year, including Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Phil Hughes. Those five players will make a combined $87.7 million this season, or more than four times as much as the entire Astros roster.

There is always risk when giving an older player a large contract, especially with pitchers. But as salaries skyrocket, this rash of injuries could lead to more teams redirecting their money in the direction of their own young players in hopes of keeping those players around through their peaks years.