- NEW YORK: Closer Mariano Rivera, the American League’s all-time saves leader, has signed a two-year contract to remain with the New York Yankees, the club announced on Tuesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal was widely reported by local media as being worth $15 million a year for the 15-year veteran from Panama who has played his entire career with the Yankees.
Rivera, 41, has registered 559 career saves, second on the all-time Major League Baseball list behind Trevor Hoffman (601), and last season continued to thrive with a 3-3 record, 33 saves in 38 opportunities and a 1.80 earned run average.
Since earned runs became an official statistic in 1912, Rivera’s 2.23 career ERA is second-lowest ever among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, trailing only Eddie Cicotte’s 2.20 mark.
An 11-time American League All-Star, Rivera has posted a sub-2.00 ERA in seven of the last eight seasons since 2003 and has been the major league’s greatest postseason closer as a key contributor to five World Series championship teams.
Earlier this month, the Yankees signed captain Derek Jeter, the shortstop and team mate of Rivera’s on those five World Series winners, to a three-year deal worth $51 million.
Rivera’s 42 postseason saves — 18 in division series, 13 in league championship series and 11 in the World Series — and his 94 postseason appearances are all major league records.
His 0.71 ERA over 139 and two-thirds innings pitched in postseason play is lowest all time for a minimum of 30 innings.

