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Carson Kelly

Carson Kelly

Chicago Cubs
C
Age: 32
Bats/Throws: R/R
6'1" / 212
DOB: 7/14/1994
(32 years, 3 months, 5 days)
C
Season20262026Total
TeamFGDCCHC- - -
LevelPROJMLBMLB
G94121790
PA3734252648
HR121081
AVG.236.258.234
OBP.314.336.316
SLG.391.376.382
wOBA.310.320.306
wRC+10010392
WAR1.91.610.2
2026 Games
Played
C:105
DH:6
1B:4
RosterResource
How Acquired:Free Agent (TEX) Dec'24
Draft:2012, Rd: 2, Pick: 26, Ovr: 86
Draft Team:St. Louis Cardinals
School:Westview HS (OR)

Contract2 yr, $11.5M (2025-26) (RR)
Free Agent
AAV: $5.75M
Options2027 mutual option
Service Time
7.161
MiLB Options
n/a
News
Rotowire: Kelly is absent from the lineup for the first game of Friday's doubleheader versus the Red Sox. (9/25/2026)

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Contract History

2 yr, $11.5M (2025-26), 2027 mutual option
Deal agreed to with Cubs on 2024-12-13.
Free Agent
Service time at contract start: 6.161
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2025$5,000,000$0$5,750,000$0$0$0$5,000,000$5,750,000
2026$5,000,000$0$5,750,000$0$0$0$5,000,000$5,750,000
2027$7,500,000$0$7,500,000$1,500,000$0$0$7,500,000$7,500,000
Total$10,000,000$0$11,500,000$1,500,000$0$0$10,000,000$11,500,000
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2025$5,000,000$0$5,750,000$0$0$0$5,000,000$5,750,000
2026$5,000,000$0$5,750,000$0$0$0$5,000,000$5,750,000
2027$7,500,000$0$7,500,000$1,500,000$0$0$7,500,000$7,500,000
Total$10,000,000$0$11,500,000$1,500,000$0$0$10,000,000$11,500,000
Player OptionClub OptionVesting OptionMutual OptionFree AgentEstimated Value
1 yr, $170.323k (2023), 2024 club option
Deal agreed to with Tigers on 2023-08-19.
Free Agent
Service time at contract start: 4.161
2023 salary is prorated league min.
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2023$170,323$0$170,323$0$0$0$170,323$170,323
2024$3,500,000$0$3,500,000$0$0$0$3,500,000$3,500,000
2025FREE AGENT
Total$3,670,323$0$3,670,323$0$0$0$3,670,323$3,670,323
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2023$170,323$0$170,323$0$0$0$170,323$170,323
2024$3,500,000$0$3,500,000$0$0$0$3,500,000$3,500,000
2025FREE AGENT
Total$3,670,323$0$3,670,323$0$0$0$3,670,323$3,670,323
Player OptionClub OptionVesting OptionMutual OptionFree AgentEstimated Value
1 yr, $4.275M (2023)
Deal agreed to with Diamondbacks
Arbitration
Service time at contract start: 4.161
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2023$4,275,000$0$4,275,000$0$0$0$4,275,000$4,275,000
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2023$4,275,000$0$4,275,000$0$0$0$4,275,000$4,275,000
Player OptionClub OptionVesting OptionMutual OptionFree AgentEstimated Value
1 yr, $3.325M (2022)
Deal agreed to with Diamondbacks
Arbitration
Service time at contract start: 3.161
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2022$3,325,000$0$3,325,000$0$0$0$3,325,000$3,325,000
2023ARB 3
2024ARB 4
2025FREE AGENT
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2022$3,325,000$0$3,325,000$0$0$0$3,325,000$3,325,000
2023ARB 3
2024ARB 4
2025FREE AGENT
Player OptionClub OptionVesting OptionMutual OptionFree AgentEstimated Value
1 yr, $1.7M (2021)
Deal agreed to with Diamondbacks on 2021-01-01.
Arbitration
Service time at contract start: 2.161
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2021$1,700,000$0$1,700,000$0$0$0$1,700,000$1,700,000
2022ARB 2
2023ARB 3
2024ARB 4
2025FREE AGENT
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2021$1,700,000$0$1,700,000$0$0$0$1,700,000$1,700,000
2022ARB 2
2023ARB 3
2024ARB 4
2025FREE AGENT
Player OptionClub OptionVesting OptionMutual OptionFree AgentEstimated Value
1 yr, $581.7k (2020)
Deal agreed to with Diamondbacks on 2020-01-01.
Pre Arbitration
Service time at contract start: 1.161
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2020$581,700$0$581,700$0$0$0$581,700$581,700
2021Pre-ARB
2022ARB 1
2023ARB 2
2024ARB 3
2025FREE AGENT
SeasonBase SalaryProrated Signing BonusAAVPotential BuyoutEarned IncentivesPre-Arb BonusTotal EarnedTotal CBT Hit
2020$581,700$0$581,700$0$0$0$581,700$581,700
2021Pre-ARB
2022ARB 1
2023ARB 2
2024ARB 3
2025FREE AGENT
Player OptionClub OptionVesting OptionMutual OptionFree AgentEstimated Value

CONTRACT INFORMATION NOTES

  1. Total Earned is calculated as the sum of Base Salary, Prorated Signing Bonus, Pre-Arb Bonus, and Earned Incentives for each season.
  2. Total CBT Hit is calculated as the sum of AAV and Earned Incentives for each season. Earned pre-arbitration bonuses do not count against the CBT, as each team contributes 1/30th of the leaguewide bonus pool. Only that equal, prorated amount counts against the CBT, regardless of how much or little the team's players earn in pre-arb bonuses.
  3. Signing bonuses are always allocated pro rata across guaranteed years, regardless of when the signing bonus is actually paid out.
  4. Signing bonuses, even if a portion of the signing bonus is due after a player is traded, are always paid by the signing team.
  5. When a player is traded, the AAV is recalculated based as the remaining base salary owed to the player divided by the remaining years on the contract. Since signing bonuses are always paid by the original team, they're not included in the recalculation.
  6. When an option is exercised, the player doesn't receive the Potential Buyout, so that value is struckthrough and not included in the totals row. However, buyout is still included in the AAV of the original contract years in the above table, even if not paid. The team(s) the player played for receive a CBT credit to account for the difference, on the Other Payments (Luxury Tax) table of the main payroll page.