The MLB bargains — strong Contract Value Index grades on below-market salaries.
In a sport without a salary cap, the bargain still matters — because every dollar saved on one deal is a dollar that funds the next. This page surfaces MLB’s best of them: the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades on the board sitting on below-median salaries.
Pre-arbitration and arbitration-era players headline the list, the cost-controlled core every contender is built on. But a smart extension or a value free-agent signing can grade just as high, because the equation is identical: elite return for a fraction of the market rate.
For a front office, these are the names that make a payroll work — production that pays for itself many times over.
The 20 MLB bargains below cost just $41.4M per year combined, led by value at RHP — a fraction of what their grades would command on the open market.
Salary figures are average annual value. Cuts and releases are excluded — the Contract Value Index is not a valid signal on a non-contract move. Grades reflect value to the team, not raw talent.
Below-median MLB salaries earning the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades. Ranked by grade quality, then by how little the team is paying.
| # | Player | Avg / Yr | CVI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kerry CarpenterOF · Tigers | $3.3M | A+ A+ |
| 2 | Danny CoulombeLHP · Red Sox | $1.0M | A A |
| 3 | Andrew McCutchenOF · Rangers | $1.3M | A A |
| 4 | Rhys Hoskins1B · Guardians | $1.5M | A A |
| 5 | Matt BrashRHP · Mariners | $1.6M | A A |
| 6 | Garrett CleavingerLHP · Rays | $2.4M | A A |
| 7 | Kevin GinkelRHP · Diamondbacks | $2.7M | A A |
| 8 | Anthony BenderRHP · Marlins | $2.8M | A A |
| 9 | Max ScherzerRHP · Blue Jays | $3.0M | A A |
| 10 | Tanner BanksLHP · Phillies | $1.2M | A- A- |
| 11 | Paul SewaldRHP · Diamondbacks | $1.5M | A- A- |
| 12 | Jose UrquidyRHP · Pirates | $1.5M | A- A- |
| 13 | Gary SanchezC · Brewers | $1.8M | A- A- |
| 14 | Starling MarteOF · Royals | $1.0M | B+ B+ |
| 15 | Brent SuterLHP · Angels | $1.3M | B+ B+ |
| 16 | Michael ConfortoOF · Cubs | $2.0M | B+ B+ |
| 17 | Jake BurgerINF · Rangers | $3.2M | B+ B+ |
| 18 | Shane BazRHP · Orioles | $3.5M | B+ B+ |
| 19 | Ryne Stanek3B · Cardinals | $3.5M | B+ B+ |
| 20 | Joey LucchesiLHP · Giants | $1.5M | B B |
A contract lands here when a team is getting one of the strongest Contract Value Index (CVI) grades on the board while paying below-median money — the bargains a smart front office locked in. These are the closest thing to a free win on the salary ledger. Read the full methodology.