Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
I've been conducting a little research project to record the free agent contracts that predate the Doug Pappas salary data—i.e., 1976-84—to complete a study on the history of free agency.
I started with all the players who amassed at least 10 Win Shares the season before becoming a free agent. Then, I culled the contract data published annually in "The New Millionaires" section of Zander Hollander's "The Complete Handbook of Baseball". Yes, in the early days of free agency, a million-dollar contract was still such a novelty that this pulp-fiction baseball annual actually published them all en masse. Unfortunately, I had just the 1978-80 editions of the "Complete Handbook": Space Invaders and that devil Pac Man ate up too much of early teen cash.
I then researched via the players pages in BaseballLibrary.com and the newspaper research tool on SABR.org. Altogether I was able to unearth 55 contracts though given that many come from newspaper accounts at the time of the signings, their accuracy may be in question.
Anyway, I am publishing what I have for two reasons. The first is so that anyone who could make use of the data can do so. Also, I am hoping that anyone who can fill in the gaps will do so. I am listing the players who met my search criteria but for whom I could not find the contract terms. If you have any of the data for those players (or for ones who didn't meet the 10-WS threshold), please let me know and I'll update the table. I ask that you please cite the source of the data:
| playerID | Name | YearID | ToTeam | Contract Yrs | Contract $ |
| winfida01 | Dave Winfield | 1981 | NYA | 10 | $ 15,000,000 |
| garvest01 | Steve Garvey | 1983 | SDN | 5 | $ 6,600,000 |
| gossari01 | Rich Gossage | 1984 | SDN | 5 | $ 6,250,000 |
| kempst01 | Steve Kemp | 1983 | NYA | 5 | $ 5,450,000 |
| bannifl01 | Floyd Bannister | 1983 | CHA | 5 | $ 4,500,000 |
| ryanno01 | Nolan Ryan | 1980 | HOU | 4 | $ 4,500,000 |
| jacksre01 | Reggie Jackson | 1982 | CAL | 4 | $ 4,000,000 |
| hunteca01 | Catfish Hunter | 1975 | NYA | 5 | $ 3,750,000 |
| baylodo01 | Don Baylor | 1983 | NYA | 4 | $ 3,700,000 |
| cruzju01 | Julio Cruz | 1984 | CHA | 6 | $ 3,600,000 |
| guidrro01 | Ron Guidry | 1982 | NYA | 4 | $ 3,600,000 |
| gossari01 | Rich Gossage | 1978 | NYA | 6 | $ 3,600,000 |
| washicl01 | Claudell Washington | 1981 | ATL | 5 | $ 3,500,000 |
| jacksre01 | Reggie Jackson | 1977 | NYA | 5 | $ 3,500,000 |
| rosepe01 | Pete Rose | 1979 | PHI | 4 | $ 3,200,000 |
| hislela01 | Larry Hisle | 1978 | ML4 | 6 | $ 3,200,000 |
| simmote01 | Ted Simmons | 1984 | ML4 | 3 | $ 3,000,000 |
| goltzda01 | Dave Goltz | 1980 | LAN | 5 | $ 3,000,000 |
| stennre01 | Rennie Stennett | 1980 | SFN | 5 | $ 3,000,000 |
| suttodo01 | Don Sutton | 1981 | HOU | 4 | $ 2,850,000 |
| ziskri01 | Richie Zisk | 1978 | TEX | 10 | $ 2,750,000 |
| gamblos01 | Oscar Gamble | 1978 | SDN | 6 | $ 2,500,000 |
| torremi01 | Mike Torrez | 1978 | BOS | 7 | $ 2,500,000 |
| tekulke01 | Kent Tekulve | 1984 | PIT | 3 | $ 2,400,000 |
| collida02 | Dave Collins | 1982 | NYA | 3 | $ 2,400,000 |
| bostoly01 | Lyman Bostock | 1978 | CAL | 5 | $ 2,400,000 |
| stanhdo01 | Don Stanhouse | 1980 | LAN | 5 | $ 2,300,000 |
| garlawa01 | Wayne Garland | 1977 | CLE | 10 | $ 2,300,000 |
| evansda01 | Darrell Evans | 1984 | DET | 3 | $ 2,250,000 |
| wiseri01 | Rick Wise | 1980 | SDN | 5 | $ 2,100,000 |
| dennyjo01 | John Denny | 1982 | CLE | 3 | $ 2,000,000 |
| kisonbr01 | Bruce Kison | 1980 | CAL | 5 | $ 2,000,000 |
| matthga01 | Gary Matthews | 1977 | ATL | 5 | $ 1,875,000 |
| curtijo01 | John Curtis | 1980 | SDN | 5 | $ 1,800,000 |
| messean01 | Andy Messersmith | 1976 | ATL | 3 | $ 1,750,000 |
| watsobo01 | Bob Watson | 1980 | NYA | 4 | $ 1,500,000 |
| hraboal01 | Al Hrabosky | 1980 | ATL | 5 | $ 1,500,000 |
| ortajo01 | Jorge Orta | 1980 | CLE | 5 | $ 1,500,000 |
| rudijo01 | Joe Rudi | 1977 | CAL | 5 | $ 1,500,000 |
| kingmda01 | Dave Kingman | 1978 | CHN | 5 | $ 1,400,000 |
| gurala01 | Larry Gura | 1979 | KCA | 5 | $ 1,350,000 |
| lockwsk01 | Skip Lockwood | 1980 | BOS | 4 | $ 1,200,000 |
| johnto01 | Tommy John | 1979 | NYA | 3 | $ 1,200,000 |
| eastwra01 | Rawly Eastwick | 1978 | NYA | 5 | $ 1,200,000 |
| grichbo01 | Bobby Grich | 1977 | CAL | 5 | $ 1,200,000 |
| perezto01 | Tony Perez | 1980 | BOS | 3 | $ 1,100,000 |
| cartyri01 | Rico Carty | 1979 | TOR | 5 | $ 1,100,000 |
| grimsro02 | Ross Grimsley | 1978 | MON | 6 | $ 1,100,000 |
| mayru01 | Rudy May | 1980 | NYA | 3 | $ 1,000,000 |
| medicdo01 | Doc Medich | 1978 | TEX | 4 | $ 1,000,000 |
| maddoel01 | Elliott Maddox | 1978 | NYN | 5 | $ 1,000,000 |
| tiantlu01 | Luis Tiant | 1979 | NYA | 2 | $ 900,000 |
| marshmi01 | Mike Marshall | 1979 | MIN | 3 | $ 900,000 |
| baylodo01 | Don Baylor | 1977 | CAL | 5 | $ 875,000 |
| perryga01 | Gaylord Perry | 1981 | ATL | 1 | $ 300,000 |
| bakerdu01 | Dusty Baker | 1984 | SFN | ||
| morgajo02 | Joe Morgan | 1984 | OAK | ||
| carewro01 | Rod Carew | 1984 | CAL | ||
| fordda01 | Dan Ford | 1984 | BAL | ||
| sorenla01 | Lary Sorensen | 1984 | OAK | ||
| hendest01 | Steve Henderson | 1984 | SEA | ||
| parkeda01 | Dave Parker | 1984 | CIN | ||
| lampde01 | Dennis Lamp | 1984 | TOR | ||
| cabelen01 | Enos Cabell | 1984 | HOU | ||
| trillma01 | Manny Trillo | 1984 | SFN | ||
| mcraeha01 | Hal McRae | 1983 | KCA | ||
| lowenjo01 | John Lowenstein | 1983 | BAL | ||
| cowenal01 | Al Cowens | 1983 | SEA | ||
| burgmto01 | Tom Burgmeier | 1983 | OAK | ||
| manniri01 | Rick Manning | 1983 | CLE | ||
| ashbyal01 | Alan Ashby | 1983 | HOU | ||
| morenom01 | Omar Moreno | 1983 | HOU | ||
| perryga01 | Gaylord Perry | 1983 | KCA | ||
| remyje01 | Jerry Remy | 1982 | BOS | ||
| scottto01 | Tony Scott | 1982 | HOU | ||
| morgajo02 | Joe Morgan | 1981 | SFN | ||
| fiskca01 | Carlton Fisk | 1981 | CHA | ||
| lefloro01 | Ron LeFlore | 1981 | CHA | ||
| mcgratu01 | Tug McGraw | 1981 | PHI | ||
| howelro02 | Roy Howell | 1981 | ML4 | ||
| porteda02 | Darrell Porter | 1981 | SLN | ||
| zahnge01 | Geoff Zahn | 1981 | CAL | ||
| maddoel01 | Elliott Maddox | 1981 | PHI | ||
| montawi01 | Willie Montanez | 1981 | MON | ||
| randlle01 | Len Randle | 1981 | SEA | ||
| staubru01 | Rusty Staub | 1981 | NYN | ||
| morgajo02 | Joe Morgan | 1980 | HOU | ||
| hortowi01 | Willie Horton | 1980 | SEA | ||
| normafr01 | Fred Norman | 1980 | MON | ||
| evansda01 | Darrell Evans | 1979 | SFN | ||
| sosael01 | Elias Sosa | 1979 | MON | ||
| slatoji01 | Jim Slaton | 1979 | ML4 | ||
| lacyle01 | Lee Lacy | 1979 | PIT | ||
| northbi01 | Billy North | 1979 | SFN | ||
| randlle01 | Len Randle | 1979 | SFN | ||
| fuentti01 | Tito Fuentes | 1978 | OAK | ||
| bochtbr01 | Bruce Bochte | 1978 | SEA | ||
| bibbyji01 | Jim Bibby | 1978 | PIT | ||
| hortowi01 | Willie Horton | 1978 | OAK | ||
| bandosa01 | Sal Bando | 1977 | ML4 | ||
| tenacge01 | Gene Tenace | 1977 | SDN | ||
| cashda01 | Dave Cash | 1977 | MON | ||
| campabe01 | Bert Campaneris | 1977 | TEX | ||
| wynnji01 | Jimmy Wynn | 1977 | ML4 | ||
| campbbi02 | Bill Campbell | 1977 | BOS | ||
| fingero01 | Rollie Fingers | 1977 | SDN | ||
| hebneri01 | Richie Hebner | 1977 | PHI | ||
| alexado01 | Doyle Alexander | 1977 | TEX | ||
| allendi01 | Dick Allen | 1977 | OAK |
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