Orioles’ Murray Signs for Reported $13 Million

First baseman Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles signed a five-year contract extension Wednesday reportedly worth $13 million--an agreement that will make him the highest-paid player in baseball.

Sources close to the negotiations said the contract will pay about $2.6 million annually. Before Murray’s signing, Ozzie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals was believed to be the highest-paid player in the majors, earning slightly more than $2 million a year.

Murray, 29, is hitting .291, with 24 homers and 105 runs batted in.

Murray has hit 20 or more home runs in each of his nine seasons with Baltimore and has driven in 100 or more runs each of the last five seasons. He has played 95% of all Orioles games in that time and has led the club in both home runs and RBI in each of the past five years.