The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever

We all know that baseball contracts can be pretty crazy. But which ones are the absolute worst? Here’s a look at some of the most egregious examples.

The worst baseball Contracts Ever: Alex Rodriguez

In December 2007, the Yankees and Rodriguez agreed to a 10-year, $275 million contract extension that included a clause allowing Rodriguez to opt out of the deal after the seventh year. He did just that in October 2008, but instead of becoming a free agent he re-signed with New York for an additional 10 years and $275 million. That made him the highest-paid player in MLB history at the time.

The following season, Rodriguez had his worst statistical year since he was a rookie in 2001. He batted just .270 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs while missing 37 games due to injury. His production has declined even further since then, as he’s averaged just 18 home runs and 65 RBIs over the past four seasons while battling numerous injuries. He’s also been suspended twice for violating MLB’s drug policy.

The Yankees have paid Rodriguez more than $340 million since he joined the team in 2004, but they’ve gotten very little production from him in return. He still has two years left on his contract, and it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to play at a high level for much longer given his age (41) and recent injuries. As a result, this is almost certainly going down as one of the worst contracts in baseball history

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Mike Hampton

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Mike Hampton

In 2000, the Colorado Rockies gave pitcher Mike Hampton a 8-year, $121 million contract – the largest ever for a pitcher at the time. Hampton had just come off a career year with the Houston Astros posting a 22-4 record with a 2.90 ERA. However, things quickly went downhill from there.

Hampton struggled in his first year with the Rockies, going 9-8 with a 5.41 ERA. He then missed all of 2002 with an elbow injury and things only got worse from there. In 2003, he was traded to the Florida Marlins in a salary dump and posted a 6.15 ERA in 21 starts. He was then traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2004 and was out of baseball by 2006.

In total, Mike Hampton earned $121 million over eight years and only pitched 401 innings, posting a disappointing 4.86 ERA. He is widely considered one of the worst signings in MLB history and is proof that giving huge contracts to pitchers is often a bad idea.

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Albert Pujols

It’s hard to find a bad word to say about Albert Pujols He’s one of the best hitters of his generation, a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer, and generally considered to be a good guy. So when the Los Angeles Angels signed him to a 10-year, $240 million contract before the 2012 season, it seemed like a sound investment. Unfortunately, Pujols has not lived up to his massive contract, and he is now widely considered to be one of the worst contracts in baseball history

Pujols was 31 years old when he signed his mega-deal with the Angels, and he was coming off of a 2011 season in which he hit .299/.366/.541 with 37 home runs and 99 RBI. He was still an elite hitter, but there were warning signs that he was beginning to decline. He had just finished his ninth season in the majors, and older players tend to start declining at that point in their careers. In addition, his batting average had declined in each of the previous three seasons, and his home run total had also decreased during that time frame.

The Angels ignored these warning signs, however, and paid Pujols an unprecedented amount of money. Pujols’ 10-year, $240 million contract was the largest ever given to a player who was not yet 32 years old. The Angels were investing a huge amount of money in Pujols’ future, but unfortunately for them, that future has not been very bright.

Pujols has played eight seasons for the Angels so far, and he has been a shadow of his former self. He has hit .257/.327/.464 with 209 Home Runs and 773 RBI during that time. Those numbers are good, but they’re not $240 million good. In addition, Pujols has been plagued by injuries during his time with the Angels. He missed significant time with foot and Elbow injuries in 2013 and 2014, and he missed nearly all of the 2018 season with knee problems.

Pujols is now 41 years old, and it’s safe to say that his best days are behind him. He will almost certainly never come close to living up to his massive contract, and he will go down as one of the worst free agent signings in baseball history

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton was a Free Agent after the 2012 season, and the Angels swooped in with a five-year, $125 million deal The thinking was that Hamilton would team with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout to make a fearsome threesome in the middle of the Los Angeles lineup.

However, Hamilton has been a massive disappointment. He batted just .255/.316/.426 with 21 homers in 2014, his first year with the Angels. He was even worse in 2015, hitting .263/.291/.441 with 31 homers. In 2016, he was limited to 50 games due to injury, batting just .223/.293/.391 with nine homers. And in 2017, he batted .236/.290/.383 with 21 homers.

The Angels have reportedly been trying to trade Hamilton, but there are no takers because of the size of his salary and the fact that he still has two years left on his contract. When you factor in the $68 million luxury tax hit that the Angels are taking for having him on their roster, Hamilton’s contract is easily one of the worst in baseball history

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez is widely considered one of the best hitter’s of his generation. He helped lead the Boston Red Sox to their first championship in 86 years, and was a feared slugger throughout his career. But despite his remarkable talents, Ramirez was also known for being a bit of a troublemaker. He was regularly late for practice, got into arguments with teammates and coaches, and was even suspended for violating baseball’s drug policy.

All of this baggage made Ramirez a risk when he hit Free agency following the 2000 season. But the Red Sox were still desperate to keep him, and rewarded him with an 8-year, $160 million contract – the fourth largest contract in MLB history at the time.

It didn’t take long for the deal to go sour. Ramirez missed games due to injury and suspension, and his production steadily declined as he got older. By 2008, he was so unhappy in Boston that he demanded a trade, and was eventually dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers The Sox were so eager to get rid of him that they agreed to pay $8 million of the $20 million left on his contract.

In total, Ramirez earned $160 million over his eight years in Boston, but only produced 1.1 WAR – meaning he cost the team nearly $150 million dollars for each win above replacement he provided. It’s safe to say that this is one of the worst contracts in MLB history.

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Carl Crawford

In 2010, the Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million contract. The 31-year-old had just come off a season in which he hit .309 with 19 home runs 90 RBI and 20 stolen bases for the Tampa Bay Rays He was one of the best all-around players in baseball and the Sox thought they were getting a superstar in his prime.

Crawford didn’t come close to living up to his contract. In his first season with the Sox, he hit just .255 with 11 home runs 56 RBI and 18 stolen bases. He struggled even more the following year, batting .283 with four homers, 19 RBI and nine stolen bases before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers after just two seasons with the team.

Crawford was far from the only player to sign a big free agent contract and then flop miserably. Others who have received massive contracts only to disappoint include Alex Rodriguez Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano and Josh Hamilton.

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Vernon Wells

The Vernon Wells contract is often cited as one of the worst contracts in baseball history The outfielder was signed by the Angels to a seven-year, $126 million extension in December of 2011, just one year after he had been acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays

The move looked like a mistake almost immediately, as Wells struggled to a .218/.258/.412 slash line in 2012, his first year with the Angels. He followed that up with an even worse 2013 campaign, hitting just .233/.279/.403. In total, Wells slashed .233/.280/.403 with 31 homers and 96 RBIs in two seasons with the Angels, before being released in 2014. He would go on to play for the Yankees and Astros before retiring in 2016.

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Jayson Werth

In December 2010, the Washington Nationals signed outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract. The deal made Werth the fourth-highest paid outfielder in baseball. He was coming off a career year in which he hit .296 with 27 home runs and 85 RBIs for the Philadelphia Phillies

The Nationals had high hopes for Werth, but he has failed to live up to the expectations of his contract. In his three seasons with Washington, Werth has hit .260 with 46 home runs and 166 RBIs. He has also been plagued by injuries, appearing in just over 100 games in each of his three seasons with the Nationals.

Werth is set to make $21 million in 2014, the fourth year of his seven-year deal. He will be 38 years old when his contract expires and it is unlikely that he will be able to play at a high level at that age. The Nationals will likely be stuck with an overpaid, underperforming player for the remainder of Werth’s contract.

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010. The contract made him the highest-paid player in team history and the fourth-highest paid player in Major League Baseball at the time. Unfortunately, it also made him one of the worst baseball contracts ever.

By the time his extension ran out, Howard had been plagued by injuries and was no longer the productive force he once was. He was eventually released by the Phillies in 2016 with more than $50 million still owed to him.

The Worst Baseball Contracts Ever: Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera is one of the best hitters in baseball. He’s a two-time MVP, a 10-time All-Star, and he’s led the league in batting average four times. He’s also one of the most expensive players in baseball, thanks to the $248 million contract extension he signed with the Detroit Tigers in 2014.

Cabrera’s contract is the worst in baseball for a few reasons. First, it’s expensive: he’s owed $30 million per year for the next eight years, and there’s a $32 million vesting option for 2023 that will likely be exercised. Second, it’s long: eight years is a long time, and Cabrera will be 39 when the contract expires. Finally, it’s inflexible: the Tigers are on the hook for all of Cabrera’s salary, even if he gets injured or his performance declines.

The Miguel Cabrera contract is an albatross around the necks of the Detroit Tigers and it’s one of the worst contracts in Baseball History