MLB
Justin Steele
Justin Steele
Chicago Cubs, Starting Pitcher
Age: 29-134d (Jul 11, 1995)
Exp: 3.143 Years
Country: US
Drafted: Round 5 (#139 overall), 2014
Agent(s): Wasserman
2025 Payroll Salary
$7,950,000
2025 Cash
$7,950,000
Career Earnings
$8,577,868
2025-2025 Arbitration (CURRENT)
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $7,950,000 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $7,950,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $7,950,000. In 2025, Steele will earn a base salary of $7,950,000, while carrying a total salary of $7,950,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $7,950,000
Average Salary:
$7,950,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
Free Agent:
2028 / UFA
| Year | Age | Status | PayrollAnnual | Luxury Tax | Tax % League Tax | Cash Annual | Cash Cumulative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
29 |
Estimate
|
$7,950,000 | $7,950,000 | 3.30% | $7,950,000 | $7,950,000 |
| 2026 |
|
30 |
ARB 3
|
|||||
| 2027 |
|
31 |
ARB 4
|
|||||
| 2028 |
|
32 |
UFA |
| Year | Age | Service | Status | Base Salary | Incentives Likely | Incentives Unlikely | Payroll Salary | Luxury Tax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
29 | 3.143 |
Estimate
|
$7,950,000 | - | - | $7,950,000 | $7,950,000 |
| 2026 |
|
30 | -- |
ARB 3
|
|||||
| 2027 |
|
31 | -- |
ARB 4
|
|||||
| 2028 |
|
32 | -- |
UFA |
| Year | Age | Status | Base Salary | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | AYC Cumulative | AYC Remaining | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
29 |
Estimate |
$7,950,000 | $7,950,000 | $7,950,000 | $7,950,000 | $7,950,000 |
Source:
MLB contract specifics generally collected from verified reports.
2024-2024 Arbitration
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $4,000,000 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $4,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $4,000,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $4,000,000
Average Salary:
$4,000,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
Free Agent:
2028 / UFA
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2023-2023 Pre-Arb
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $740,000 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $740,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $740,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $740,000
Average Salary:
$740,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2022-2022 Pre-Arb
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $705,000 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $705,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $705,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $705,000
Average Salary:
$705,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2021-2021 Pre-Arb
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $570,500 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $570,500 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $570,500.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $570,500
Average Salary:
$570,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2020-2020 Pre-Arb
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $563,500 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $563,500 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $563,500.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $563,500
Average Salary:
$563,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2019-2019 Pre-Arb
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $555,000 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $555,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $555,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $555,000
Average Salary:
$555,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2014-2014 Signing Bonus
Justin Steele signed a 1 year , $1,000,000 contract with the Chicago Cubs, including $1,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,000,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $1,000,000
Average Salary:
$1,000,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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Seasons
3.143 Years
Career Earnings thru 2025
$8,577,868
Earnings w/ Different Teams
1 team
Earnings Per Year
| Year | Age | Team(s) | Status | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 18 |
|
Signing Bonus
|
$1,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
|
| 2019 | 23 |
|
Reserve / minor-buried
|
$45,300 |
$1,045,300 |
|
| 2020 | 24 |
|
Reserve / minor-buried
|
$12,460 |
$1,057,760 |
|
| 2021 | 25 |
|
Active
|
$401,777 |
$1,459,537 |
|
| 2022 | 26 |
|
Injured
|
$705,000 |
$2,164,537 |
|
| 2023 | 27 |
|
Active
|
$2,413,331 |
$4,577,868 |
|
| 2024 | 28 |
|
Active / Arb Avoided
|
$4,000,000 |
$8,577,868 |
|
| Total |
$8,577,868 |
$8,577,868 |
||||
| 2025 | 29 |
|
Active / estimate-arbitration
|
$7,950,000 |
||
| Total |
$16,527,868 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |
|
$5,904,537 | $1,000,000 | $1,673,331 | $8,577,868 |
| Year | Team(s) | Age | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 |
|
18 |
$1,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
||
| 2019 |
|
23 |
$45,300
|
$45,300 |
$1,045,300 |
||
| 2020 |
|
24 |
$12,460
|
$12,460 |
$1,057,760 |
||
| 2021 |
|
25 |
$401,777
|
$401,777 |
$1,459,537 |
||
| 2022 |
|
26 |
$705,000
|
$705,000 |
$2,164,537 |
||
| 2023 |
|
27 |
$740,000
|
$1,673,331 |
$2,413,331 |
$4,577,868 |
|
| 2024 |
|
28 |
$4,000,000
|
$4,000,000 |
$8,577,868 |
||
| Total |
$5,904,537 |
$1,000,000 |
$1,673,331 |
$8,577,868 |
$8,577,868 |
||
| 2025 |
|
29 |
$7,950,000
|
$7,950,000 |
|||
| Total |
$13,854,537 |
$1,000,000 |
$1,673,331 |
$16,527,868 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |
|
$5,904,537 | $1,000,000 | $1,673,331 | $8,577,868 |
Injuries
| Year | Dates | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
CHC |
Sep 01, 2024 - Sep 18, 2024 | Elbow |
| 2024 |
CHC |
Mar 30, 2024 - May 06, 2024 | Hamstring |
| 2023 |
CHC |
Jun 03, 2023 - Jun 17, 2023 | Arm |
| 2022 |
CHC |
Sep 05, 2022 - Oct 05, 2022 | Back |
| 2021 |
CHC |
May 21, 2021 - Jul 08, 2021 | Hamstring |
-
Jan 11, 2024
Signed a 1 year $4 million contract with Chicago (CHC), avoiding arbitration
-
Mar 01, 2023
Signed a 1 year $740,000 contract with Chicago (CHC)
-
Mar 01, 2022
Signed a 1 year $705,000 contract with Chicago (CHC)
-
Mar 05, 2019
Signed a 1 year $555,000 contract with Chicago (CHC)
-
Nov 20, 2018
Contract purchased by Chicago (CHC)
-
Jun 19, 2014
Signed a contract with Chicago (CHC)
-
Jun 06, 2014
Drafted by Chicago (CHC): Round 5 (#139 overall)
| Year | Team | GP | GS | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | W | L | SV | IP | ERA | WHIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | CHC | 24 | 24 | 111 | 54 | 46 | 37 | 135 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 134.7 | 3.07 | 1.10 | 1.92 |
| 2023 | CHC | 30 | 30 | 167 | 71 | 59 | 36 | 176 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 173.3 | 3.06 | 1.17 | 3.74 |
| 2022 | CHC | 24 | 24 | 111 | 53 | 42 | 50 | 126 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 119.0 | 3.18 | 1.35 | 2.11 |
| 2021 | CHC | 20 | 9 | 50 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 59 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 57.0 | 4.26 | 1.35 | 0.58 |
Calculated Market Value
Market Value
- 3 years, $59,642,655
- Avg. Salary: $19,880,885
- MLB Rank: 53
- SP Rank: 16
Current Contract
- Free Agent: 2028
- Avg. Salary: $7,950,000
- MLB Rank: 163
- SP Rank: 59
Comparable Players
We've selected the following players based on their age, contract status, and statistical production to compare Justin Steele to.
| Player | Length | Value | Avg. Salary | Age When Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framber Valdez | 1 | $12,100,000 | $12,100,000 | 29 |
| Shane Bieber | 1 | $13,125,000 | $13,125,000 | 28 |
| Marcus Stroman | 2 | $37,000,000 | $18,500,000 | 32 |
| Joe Musgrove | 5 | $100,000,000 | $20,000,000 | 29 |
| Averages | 2 | $40,556,250 | $15,931,250 | 29.5 |
Base Calculated Value
After adjusting the above contracts as if signed at Steele's current age (29), a linear regression is performed, providing us with the following initial value.
| Length | Value | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | $57,329,412 | $19,109,804 |
Statistical Comparisons
Now we'll compare our variables and Steele statistically over the two seasons prior to their signing. In this case we're analyzing: GS/Yr, IP, K/9, BB/9, ERA, WHIP, FIP, WAR
| Player | GS/Yr | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | ERA | WHIP | FIP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Framber Valdez
2022-2023
|
31.00 | 6.44 | 8.88 | 2.80 | 3.14 | 1.14 | 3.28 | 3.55 |
|
Shane Bieber
2022-2023
|
26.00 | 6.31 | 8.22 | 2.00 | 3.34 | 1.14 | 3.38 | 3.46 |
|
Marcus Stroman
2022-2023
|
25.00 | 5.29 | 7.78 | 2.88 | 3.73 | 1.20 | 3.67 | 2.92 |
|
Joe Musgrove
2021-2022
|
30.50 | 5.18 | 9.62 | 2.38 | 3.06 | 1.08 | 3.64 | 3.99 |
| Average | 28.13 | 5.81 | 8.63 | 2.52 | 3.32 | 1.14 | 3.49 | 3.48 |
|
Justin Steele
2023-2024
|
27.00 | 5.70 | 9.08 | 2.17 | 3.07 | 1.13 | 3.12 | 3.56 |
| Pct Change | -4.02 | -1.89 | 5.21 | 13.89 | 7.53 | 0.88 | 10.60 | 2.30 |
| Median Prime % Change | 3.76% | |||||||
| Average Prime % Change | 4.31% | |||||||
Calculated Market Value: Justin Steele
After applying our Prime % figures into our base calculated value, we're given two values. The average of these values becomes our current calculated market value.
| Terms | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| 3 years, $59,642,655 | $19,880,885 |
