BOSTON -- Free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford will receive a $6 million signing bonus as part of the seven-year, $142 million contract he is signing with the Boston Red Sox, according to a baseball source.
Crawford passed his physical Friday, and the team has scheduled a 10 a.m. ET news conference Saturday at Fenway Park to announce his signing.
Crawford will be paid a $14 million salary in 2011, the salary jumping to $19.5 million in 2012. He will reach the $20 million threshold in 2013, with his salary increasing by $250,000 increments for the rest of the contract: $20.25 million in 2014, $20.5 million in 2015, $20.75 million in 2016, and $21 million in 2017.
The only Red Sox player in history to be paid at least $20 million in a season was outfielder Manny Ramirez, who signed an eight-year, $160 million contract 10 years ago this month. Ramirez's salary exceeded $20 million in 2004, when he was paid $20.5 million, but some of that money was deferred.
Crawford's deal is the sixth-largest free-agent contract in terms of total value in major league baseball. Its average annual value of $20.28 million is also the second-largest all-time among outfielders, trailing only the $22.5 million annual average of the two-year contract Ramirez received from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Crawford, who hit a career-high 19 home runs last season, becomes the first player ever to sign a $100 million contract without having had a 20-homer season.
A four-time All-Star who also won his first Gold Glove last season, Crawford is the second major acquisition made by the Red Sox this winter, joining first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, acquired by trade from San Diego.
Gordon Edes covers the Red Sox for ESPNBoston.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.