Good Friday is proving quite a lucrative day for baseball's biggest stars.
Hours after the Tigers signed right-hander Justin Verlander to a seven-year, $180 million contract, the Giants reached agreement on an eight-year, $159 million extension with catcher Buster Posey, according to major league sources.
Posey, 26, was under contract for this season for $8 million. His new deal covers his three remaining arbitration years and five free-agent years and has a club option for 2022.
Posey's contract is the longest ever for a catcher and second among catchers' contracts in total value and average value, trailing only Joe Mauer's eight-year, $184 million deal. It also is the largest contract in Giants history, beating Matt Cain's $127.5 million deal and Barry Zito's $126 million deal.
In addition, Posey's $167 million total guarantee is a record for a player with fewer than three years of service time, more than doubling the previous record — $80 million over seven years for Carlos Gonzalez. The guarantee also is a record for a player with fewer than four years of service time and the largest position-player contract of the offseason.
The deal also includes a full no-trade clause.
