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This MLB Player's Salary Is The Same As 12 All-Stars' Salaries Combined

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A sum like $25 million can buy you a lot these days, or it can land you just one very expensive baseball player.

That amount, of course, is the average yearly salary Giancarlo Stanton will be making up to the year 2028.

That hefty payday came after the Miami Marlins signed Stanton to a 13-year, $325 million extension during the offseason.

The extension gave the Marlins outfielder what is by far the highest-paying contract in MLB history, but it also means Miami is spending an awful lot of money on a single talent.

And that seems pretty absurd, especially when you consider just how many other good players could be had for well below $25 million.

In fact, the Marlins could, in theory, afford to have 12 other MLB All-Stars on the rosters for the price they paid for one.

That's what this snazzy infographic from FindTheBest.com handily reveals; it charts the WAR (wins above replacement) of a dozen 2014 All-Stars against their 2015 salaries. Combined, their incomes only amount to a total of $22.3 million.

Of course, the Marlins didn't have the option of going out and picking up those specific All-Stars versus signing Stanton.

But, these infographics do underline two very important points about big money contracts in baseball.

First, they rarely, if ever, workout. Stars who get paid handsomely just don't perform to the standards of their contracts' worth. That's a fact of life.

Secondly, when a big star isn't living up to the salary, especially as he or she ages, it becomes an even bigger pain in the team's neck once they realize they could have had quality and quantity if they devoted their resources to signing other stars.

Then again, Stanton was a sure thing for the Marlins. He's a homegrown player who turned into a big star, and a big star is always seen as a need for a team with any type of realistic aspirations.

Still, when one player is worth so many All-Stars, you have to ask: Would you rather have Giancarlo Stanton or the multiple good players you could sign for the price of his salary?