The City of Pittsburgh has three professional sports teams: the Penguins (NHL), the Pirates (MLB), and the Steelers (NFL). The Penguins and Steelers play in leagues with salary caps, while the Pirates pay a luxury tax on their contracts.
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Considering the NFL and MLB have more significant followings and media presences, it is unsurprising that players from their rosters make more money than hockey players.
Although the Pirates ($84 million) are considered a small market team, with a smaller payroll than the Penguins ($87 million), the Steelers operate on a $248 million budget.
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Outside of players who have had their contracts bought out or those listed on injured reserve or inactive, here’s a breakdown of the highest cap hits of Pittsburgh’s three professional sports teams.
10. Erik Karlsson – Penguins ($10 million)
Erik Karlsson recently moved to Pittsburgh in August 2023 and vaulted himself onto this list thanks to a cap hit of $10 million on a deal he signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2019. Karlsson is the only member of the Penguins on the list and is eligible to become a free agent in three seasons.
9. Isaac Seumalo – Steelers ($10.1 million)
Isaac Seumalo is a 31-year-old guard for the Steelers. His base salary for 2024 is $7.8 million, but his cap hit is $10.1 million. His contract is the team’s sixth-highest total and outranks everyone in the Penguins organization. Seumalo could be a free agent after the 2025 campaign.
8. Bryan Reynolds – Pirates ($10.2 million)
Bryan Reynolds – Pittsburgh Pirates
© David Banks
The Pirates employ only three players who make over $10 million a season, with right fielder Bryan Reynolds as the veteran in the lineup with the highest contract. However, in the offseason, the organization acquired former World Series winner Aroldis Chapman, giving him a salary of just $250k more than Reynolds.
Reynolds’ salary…
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