Dave Winfield Signs a Record Deal with the Yankees

On December 15, 1980, outfielder Dave Winfield signed a ten-year free agent contract with the New York Yankees worth an estimated $23 million, making him the highest-paid player in baseball history. The deal capped a bidding war among several clubs for one of the most talented all-around athletes the sport had produced.

Winfield had spent his first eight seasons with the San Diego Padres, where he hit .284 with 154 home runs and emerged as one of the National League's premier outfielders. He was a four-time All-Star in San Diego, combining a powerful arm, excellent range, and a bat that produced consistent extra-base power. At 6-foot-6, he was one of the most physically imposing players in the game.

He was also one of the most versatile athletes ever drafted. In 1973, Winfield was selected by four professional teams in three sports. The Padres took him in the MLB draft, the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA draft, the Utah Stars in the ABA draft, and the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL draft, even though he had never played college football.

Winfield chose baseball and quickly proved the Padres right. But San Diego was a small-market team that could not afford to keep him once free agency arrived. The Yankees, under owner George Steinbrenner, had the money and the desire to make a splash.

The relationship between Winfield and Steinbrenner turned contentious almost immediately. Steinbrenner publicly blamed Winfield for poor postseason performances, most notably a 1-for-22 slump in the 1981 World Series, and the two feuded for years. Despite the friction, Winfield was an All-Star in each of his first eight seasons in New York, hitting .290 with 205 home runs as a Yankee.

He was traded to the Angels in 1990 and won a World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992. Winfield was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.