THE LIST Highest-Paid Athletes Ranked by base salary for current or upcoming season

TOTAL SALARY CASH TOTAL CONTRACT SEASONS THIS (SIGNING BONUS RECEIVED CONTRACT LENGTH CONTRACT IN LEAGUE YEAR NAME, AGE TEAM BASE SALARY AMORTIZED) (1) THIS YEAR VALUE (YEARS) EXPIRES (2) POSITION (3) COLLEGE 1 Kevin Love, 30 Cavaliers $28,942,830 $28,942,830 $28,942,830 $120,402,172 4 2023 forward/center 11 UCLA 2 Tristan Thompson, 28 Cavaliers $18,539,130 $18,539,130 $18,539,130 $82,000,000 5 2020 center 8 University of Texas 3 Carlos Santana, 33 Indians $17,000,000 $20,333,333 $17,000,000 $60,000,000 3 2020 first baseman 10 NA 4 Corey Kluber, 33 Indians $17,000,000 $17,200,000 $17,000,000 $42,500,000 5 2019 pitcher 9 Stetson University 5 Odell Beckham Jr., 26 Browns $16,750,000 $17,000,000 $17,000,000 $90,000,000 5 2023 wide receiver 5 Louisiana State University 6 Brandon Knight, 27 Cavaliers $15,643,750 $15,643,750 $15,643,750 $70,000,000 5 2020 guard 8 University of Kentucky 7 Olivier Vernon, 28 Browns $15,250,000 $15,500,000 $15,500,000 $85,000,000 5 2020 defensive end 7 University of Miami 8 Jason Kipnis, 32 Indians $14,500,000 $14,666,668 $14,500,000 $52,500,000 6 2019 second baseman 9 Arizona State University 9 Jordan Clarkson, 27 Cavaliers $13,437,500 $13,437,500 $13,437,500 $50,000,000 4 2020 guard 5 University of Missouri 10 Larry Nance Jr., 26 Cavaliers $12,727,273 $12,727,273 $12,727,273 $44,800,000 4 2023 forward 3 University of Wyoming 11 , 26 Browns $12,500,000 $14,050,000 $12,550,000 $75,500,000 5 2022 wide receiver 5 Louisiana State University 12 Francisco Lindor, 25 Indians $10,550,000 $10,550,000 $10,550,000 $10,550,000 1 2019 shortstop 5 NA 13 Carlos Carrasco, 32 Indians $9,750,000 $9,750,000 $9,750,000 $47,000,000 4 2022 pitcher 11 NA 14 Yasiel Puig, 28 Indians $9,700,000 $9,700,000 $9,700,000 $9,700,000 1 2019 right fielder 7 NA 15 Matthew Dellavedova, 28 Cavaliers $9,607,500 $9,607,500 $9,607,500 $38,430,000 4 2020 guard 6 Saint Mary's College 16 Damarious Randall, 27 Browns $9,069,000 $9,069,000 $9,069,000 $16,984,734 5 2019 safety 4 Arizona State University 17 John Henson, 28 Cavaliers $8,732,396 $9,732,396 $8,732,396 $48,000,000 4 2020 forward 7 University of North Carolina 18 Sheldon Richardson, 28 Browns $8,000,000 $9,666,667 $13,000,000 $37,000,000 3 2021 defensive 6 University of Missouri 19 T.J. Carrie, 29 Browns $7,500,000 $8,900,000 $8,000,000 $31,000,000 4 2021 5 Ohio University 20 , 27 Browns $7,000,000 $8,200,000 $7,000,000 $38,000,000 4 2021 linebacker 5 University of Iowa 21 , 27 Browns $6,500,000 $7,000,000 $7,000,000 $51,164,777 6 2022 guard 5 University of Nevada 22 Brad Hand, 29 Indians $6,500,000 $6,500,000 $6,500,000 $19,750,000 3 2020 pitcher 9 NA 23 Darius Garland, 19 Cavaliers $6,400,920 $6,400,920 $6,400,920 $13,121,640 2 2021 guard 0 Vanderbilt University , 28 Browns $6,150,000 $7,300,000 $6,500,000 $36,500,000 5 2022 tackle 5 University of Alabama at 24 Birmingham 25 J.C. Tretter, 28 Browns $5,500,000 $7,250,000 $5,750,000 $16,750,000 3 2019 center 6 Cornell University 26 Greg Robinson, 26 Browns $5,500,000 $7,000,000 $7,000,000 $7,000,000 1 2019 tackle 5 Auburn University 27 Collin Sexton, 20 Cavaliers $4,764,960 $4,764,960 $4,764,960 $8,833,560 2 2020 guard 1 University of Alabama 28 Danny Salazar, 29 Indians $4,500,000 $4,500,000 $4,500,000 $4,500,000 1 2019 pitcher 7 NA 29 Jose Ramirez, 26 Indians $3,750,000 $4,150,000 $3,750,000 $26,000,000 4 2020 third baseman 7 NA 30 , 23 Browns $3,229,750 $8,294,251 $3,229,750 $30,412,255 4 2020 defensive end 2 Texas A&M University 31 Cedi Osman, 24 Cavaliers $2,907,143 $2,907,143 $2,907,143 $8,317,064 3 2020 forward 2 NA 32 Chris Smith, 27 Browns $2,750,000 $4,416,666 $3,250,000 $12,000,000 3 2020 defensive end 6 University of Arkansas 33 Britton Colquitt, 34 Browns $2,700,000 $2,700,000 $2,700,000 $11,200,000 4 2020 punter 9 University of Tennessee 34 Drew Stanton, 35 Browns $2,650,000 $3,765,625 $2,765,625 $6,500,000 2 2019 13 Michigan State University 35 , 27 Browns $2,500,000 $3,466,666 $2,800,000 $10,000,000 3 2020 cornerback 5 University of Oregon 36 Roberto Perez, 30 Indians $2,500,000 $2,625,000 $2,500,000 $9,000,000 4 2020 catcher 6 Florida Gateway College 37 Oliver Perez, 38 Indians $2,500,000 $2,500,000 $2,500,000 $2,500,000 1 2019 pitcher 18 NA 38 Ante Zizic, 22 Cavaliers $2,281,800 $2,281,800 $2,281,800 $5,879,760 3 2020 center 2 NA 39 Dylan Windler, 22 Cavaliers $2,035,800 $2,035,800 $2,035,800 $4,173,240 2 2021 forward 0 Belmont University 40 , 25 Browns $2,025,000 $2,183,489 $2,025,000 $4,278,956 4 2019 linebacker 3 University of Wisconsin 41 , 24 Browns $2,025,000 $2,025,000 $2,025,000 $2,025,000 1 2019 wide receiver 3 Colorado State University 42 Eric Murray, 25 Browns $2,015,500 $2,025,000 $2,025,000 $2,967,303 4 2019 cornerback 3 University of Minnesota 43 , 22 Browns $1,805,698 $6,628,490 $1,805,698 $29,165,356 4 2021 cornerback 1 Ohio State University Jarell Martin, 25 Cavaliers $1,737,145 (4) $1,737,145 (4) $1,737,145 $1,737,145 (4) 1 (4) 2020 (4) forward 4 Louisiana State University 44 (4)

Sindarius Thornwell, 24 Cavaliers $1,620,564 (4) $1,620,564 (4) $1,620,564 $1,620,564 (4) 1 (4) 2020 (4) guard 2 University of South Carolina 45 (4) 46 Carl Davis, 27 Browns $1,500,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $2,000,000 1 2019 defensive tackle 4 University of Iowa 47 Tyler Clippard, 34 Indians $1,500,000 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 1 2019 pitcher 13 NA J.P. Macura, 24 Cavaliers $1,445,697 (4) $1,445,697 (4) $1,445,697 $1,445,697 (4) 1 (4) 2020 (4) guard 1 Xavier University 48 (4) 49 Adarius Taylor, 28 Browns $1,350,000 $2,040,625 $2,540,625 $5,000,000 2 2020 linebacker 5 Florida Atlantic University 50 , 23 Browns $1,330,918 $2,597,753 $1,330,918 $9,525,095 4 2020 tight end 2 University of Miami 51 Dan Otero, 34 Indians $1,300,000 $1,300,000 $1,300,000 $2,500,000 2 2019 pitcher 8 University of South Florida Kevin Porter Jr., 19 Cavaliers $1,290,960 $1,290,960 $1,290,960 $3,324,120 2 2021 guard 0 University of Southern 52 California 53 Demetrius Harris, 28 Browns $1,250,000 $2,487,500 $3,487,500 $6,000,000 2 2020 tight end 6 Arkansas State University 54 Kendall Lamm, 27 Browns $1,200,000 $1,687,500 $1,987,500 $4,500,000 2 2020 tackle 4 Appalachian State University 55 Kevin Plawecki, 28 Indians $1,137,500 $1,137,500 $1,137,500 $1,137,500 1 2019 catcher 5 Purdue University Eric Kush, 29 Browns $1,100,000 $1,525,000 $1,875,000 $3,750,000 2 2020 guard 6 California University of 56 Pennsylvania

Morgan Burnett, 30 Browns $1,000,000 $2,596,875 $3,921,875 $7,500,000 2 2020 safety 9 Georgia Institute of Technology 57 (Georgia Tech) 58 Ray-Ray Armstrong, 28 Browns $1,000,000 $1,543,750 $1,543,750 $1,550,000 1 2019 linebacker 7 University of Miami RESEARCHED BY CHUCK SODER ([email protected]) Want the Excel version of this list — and every other Crain's list? Become a Data Member: CrainsCleveland.com/data Numerical data from spotrac.com. Additional information from espn.com and league websites. Crain's does not independently verify the information and there is no guarantee these listings are complete or accurate. Send feedback to Chuck Soder: [email protected]. (1) Total salary figures include only a portion of signing bonuses, which are typically amortized over multiple years for the purpose of calculating salary caps. (2) Represents the final season the player is under contract. NFL contracts technically don't expire until March of the following year. (3) Excludes the 2019 Browns season, which starts Sept. 8, and the 2019-2020 Cavaliers season, which starts Oct. 23. (4) Nonguaranteed