What follows is the list of Mets contracts that I assembled while researching my SI.com piece on David Wright and the Mets history of bad contracts. This is raw data in that the dollars and years listed are the total values of the contracts announced upon their signing, not what the Mets wound up paying or for how long. The seasons and bWAR totals, however, are only those that came with the Mets.
The top 23 contracts (24 with Wright now included) are, best I can tell, the most expensive contracts in Mets history by total dollars. The ten below that (after the break in the chart) are other contracts of lesser value from prior to 1997 that were nonetheless major deals at the time.
| Player | $ (in millions) | Years | Seasons | bWAR |
| David Wright | $ 138.00 | 8 | 2013- | |
| Johan Santana | $ 137.50 | 6 | 2008- |
14.6 |
| Carlos Beltran | $ 119.00 | 7 | 2005-2011 |
30.2 |
| Mike Piazza | $ 91.00 | 7 | 1999-2005 |
17.6 |
| Jason Bay | $ 66.00 | 4 | 2010-2012 |
1.1 |
| David Wright | $ 55.00 | 6 | 2007-2012 |
28.8 |
| Pedro Martinez | $ 53.00 | 4 | 2005-2008 |
7.6 |
| Billy Wagner | $ 43.00 | 4 | 2006-2009 |
4.7 |
| Tom Glavine | $ 42.50 | 3 | 2003-2006 |
12.5 |
| Kevin Appier | $ 42.00 | 4 | 2001 |
3.3 |
| Francisco Rodriguez | $ 37.00 | 3 | 2009-2011 |
2.5 |
| Bobby Bonilla | $ 29.00 | 5 | 1992-1995 |
8.9 |
| Robin Ventura | $ 23.00 | 3 | 1999-2001 |
10.3 |
| Cliff Floyd | $ 26.00 | 4 | 2003-2006 |
7.0 |
| Luis Castillo | $ 25.00 | 4 | 2008-2010 |
0.9 |
| Todd Hundley | $ 21.00 | 4 | 1997-1998 |
2.2 |
| Kazuo Matsui | $ 20.00 | 3 | 2004-2006 |
0.2 |
| Mike Cameron | $ 19.50 | 3 | 2004-2005 |
3.0 |
| Bernard Gilkey | $ 19.40 | 4 | 1997-1998 |
9.6 |
| Roger Cedeño | $ 18.00 | 4 | 2002-2003 |
-0.9 |
| Todd Zeile | $ 18.00 | 3 | 2000-2001 |
2.7 |
| Dwight Gooden | $ 15.45 | 3 | 1992-1994 |
4.8 |
| Bret Saberhagen | $ 15.38 | 3 | 1993-1995 |
9.7 |
| John Olerud | $ 14.50 | 3 | 1997-1999 |
16.5 |
| Pete Harnisch | $ 9.00 | 3 | 1995-1997 |
0.3 |
| Eddie Murray | $ 7.50 | 2 | 1992-1993 |
2.3 |
| Vince Coleman | $ 12.00 | 4 | 1991-1993 |
1.7 |
| Frank Viola* | $ 7.90 | 3 | 1989-1991 |
9.1 |
| Kevin McReynolds | $ 5.50 | 3 | 1989-1991 |
7.6 |
| Ron Darling | $ 5.30 | 3 | 1989-1991 |
0.4 |
| Dwight Gooden | $ 6.70 | 3 | 1989-1991 |
6.6 |
| Keith Hernandez | $ 8.00 | 5 | 1985-1989 |
14.8 |
| Gary Carter** | $ 10.60 | 5 | 1985-1989 |
10.3 |
| George Foster | $ 10.00 | 5 | 1982-1986 |
3.4 |
*Viola signed a three-year deal with the Twins but was traded to the Mets mid-way through the first season. The contract figures here are for the full contract.
**Carter signed a seven-year deal with the Expos but was traded to the Mets after two seasons. The contract figures here are for Carter’s five years with the Mets only.
Update: the original version of this post listed the total value of Bobby Bonilla’s first Mets contract as $39 million. That was a typo, it was actually $29 million, corrected above.
CliffCorcoran.com 
Nick
December 1, 2012 at 9:43 am
I think you meant to write Mike Piazza, not Mike Pizza
Cliff Corcoran
December 1, 2012 at 9:58 am
I did work through lunch when doing that research . . . fixed.