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Grant Brisbee
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Jeff Sullivan
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Rob Neyer
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Dan Moore
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Jason Brannon
Hot Corner Scribe
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Jim Baker
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eBay Item Of The Day - May 25
Marc Normandin
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Wendy Thurm
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Huffington's Post's Scott Campbell on the 10 worst contracts in the majors, with a codicil; he's considering only the remaining years and dollars, otherwise Barry Zito's deal would look even worse ...
10. Carl Crawford - 6/127
9. Alfonso Soriano - 3/54
8. Albert Pujols - 10/240
7. Prince Fielder - 9/214
6. John Lackey - 3/48
5. Barry Zito - 2/46
4. Vernon Wells - 3/74
3. Al Rodriguez - 6/143
2. Ryan Howard - 5/125
1. Jayson Werth - 6/115
Looks about right to me. If you have other nominees, please drop into comments...
27 comments
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Comments
0. Yunieski Betancourt - Any Years/Any Amount
by Justin Bopp on Jan 30, 2012 6:17 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Crawford has to be higher
Same years but more money than Werth. Only a year younger. Coming off wrist surgery. Light hitting corner outfielder.
For whatever reason everyone seems to think Crawford is a better bet to bounce back from last years debacle but I don’t think that is a given. Another season of 0.2 WAR and he will launch to the front of the list.
by rodsky11 on Jan 30, 2012 6:27 PM EST reply actions
This list is very generous to Carl Crawford
Crawford just put up, literally, a replacement level season and he’s still on the hook for $127 million. Most of his career value has been based on defense which will make it tougher to be of any value as he gets older.
Werth was still a 2-2.5 win player last year; it’s a horrible contract but I think I’d swap them.
by matt man on Jan 30, 2012 6:27 PM EST reply actions
According to baseball-reference 21 OWAR 6 Dwar for Crawford, so “most” of his value hasn’t been defensively.
by Jake Albrecht on Jan 30, 2012 7:35 PM EST up reply actions
However, according to Fangraphs Crawford has at 93.8 for batting and 116.8 for fielding.
by SchlomSD on Jan 30, 2012 7:59 PM EST up reply actions
Last 6 season 97.2 for batting 57.1 for fielding, if you want to imply he’s not capable of being an offensive player I think 6 seasons of proving he’s more valuable with a bat than with his glove is sufficient.
by Jake Albrecht on Feb 26, 2012 7:38 PM EST up reply actions
A couple
Mark Teixeira – 5/113 (full no-trade)
Johan Santana – 2/49 – Would you rather have Santana’s contract or Zito’s?
Coming Home Newcastle
Fake Teams
by Robert L. Bishop on Jan 30, 2012 6:31 PM EST reply actions
re Teixeira no-trade
considering he’s with the Yankees, I don’t think the no-trade is that much of a negative impact. If he were on a team like the Twins or Indians, that’s another story.
by gator32301 on Jan 31, 2012 9:02 AM EST up reply actions
Also. The list isn't Dunn.
I think Adam Dunn’s 3/44 should be rate higher than Lackey or Soriano. He just posted one of the worst seasons in recent history in the first year of his contract. At least Lackey’s FIP means he should be given a shot to keep going. I don’t think Dunn should even be on a baseball field at this point.
by rodsky11 on Jan 30, 2012 6:31 PM EST reply actions
I have literally never heard anyone say or seen anyone write “Al Rodriguez.” Until today.
Also, Howard’s and Werth’s contracts are definitely bad, but 1-2? I find that hard to believe. Crawford’s contract has got to be the worst, at least until he shows he can turn it around.
by Phrozen on Jan 30, 2012 6:32 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd for thinking what I was thinking about "Al Rodriguez"
It just looks odd.
"Perhaps the worst comment I've ever seen on LL." - sanford_and_son.
by Ride the Apocalypse on Jan 31, 2012 12:34 AM EST up reply actions
I know A-Rod is owed nearly twice as much
But I still take his contract over Vernon Wells’, easily. While not the elite player he once was, he is still very good. Wells is absolutely terrible.
Amazing fact: Yuniesky Betancourt was more valuable than Vernon Wells last year, by WAR.
by walkie on Jan 30, 2012 6:32 PM EST reply actions
What about Mauer?
Joe Mauer 7/161
by joelGT on Jan 30, 2012 6:35 PM EST reply actions
I would rather have any of those contracts up there instead of Mauer.
With the possible exception of A-Rod.
by Grant Brisbee on Jan 30, 2012 6:45 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah
Mauer’s contract is awful.
by A Behemoth on Jan 30, 2012 7:16 PM EST up reply actions
Nice catch.
I'd put it this way; if an offense is a sugar cookie, on base percentage is the pastry part of the cookie, power is the icing, and baserunning is like the jimmies that they sprinkle onto the icing. - Bill James
by J(O's)elskIL on Jan 31, 2012 11:08 AM EST up reply actions
Years left on Lackey's contract
Boston has a club option for 2015 at the MLB minimum salary for Jon Lackey, so the deal is effectively 4/48. The author doesn’t seem to know this.
by Boston Domer on Jan 30, 2012 6:38 PM EST reply actions
Howard
It is a bit misleading to list Howard as “5/125.” He is going to miss a significant portion of 2012 with his horrific injury. He is functionally 4.5/125 at best, possibly 4/125 at worst (if he misses the whole season). Is that enough for him to pass Werth, who is healthy and can play the OF instead of 1B?
by ahhall on Jan 30, 2012 6:48 PM EST reply actions
It’s a stretch to say he’s looking at “4.5/125” at best. It’s certainly possible he could be playing by June. Not likely, yeah, but possible.
And over the last two years, when he played hurt for some times, he still posted 4.7 WAR. He’s hardly the biggest albatross on that list.
by Phrozen on Jan 30, 2012 7:15 PM EST up reply actions
Is the recovery really that quick?
I admit I haven’t sought out any information on this. I thought that an Achilles tear was something like a year of recovery, possibly less if all goes well. Is it more like 6-8 months?
OK, I had to go check. It’s 5-6 months. The SB Nation post from October says that, if all goes well, he may even be back by Opening Day. I think that might be a little overly optimistic, but still, point taken. Howard may not miss significant time in 2012, and it’s not like speed is his game anyway.
Decline, however, is his game. In the last 4 years, he has only one season with an OPS+ better than 127. That is a very fine OPS+, but not for a $25M/yr player with no other skills. I’d like a 150 OPS+ for that kind of money, or a 125 who can play a key position. He’s still more productive than most players on that list, but he’s 31 and unlikely to get better.
by ahhall on Jan 31, 2012 12:54 AM EST up reply actions
And I'd still rather have Howard than Crawford or Wells
by ahhall on Jan 31, 2012 12:55 AM EST up reply actions
Bobby Bonilla 24/28.56
Mets guaranteed to get 0 production from their 3rd highest paid OF on the roster.
by jesuswtf on Jan 30, 2012 6:50 PM EST reply actions 6 recs
howard has to be the worst
he’ll miss significant time this year and has been on constant decline, while werth plays good outfield and runs the bases well and should be rebounding pretty good this year
Trolling the Offseason: Starring Jamie Moyer, Directed by Dan O'Dowd, with Executive Producers Dick and Charlie Monfort
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by papality on Jan 30, 2012 7:26 PM EST reply actions
I’d rather have Howard than Wells, Zito, Lackey, Fielder or Crawford, with those numbers. I’d also rather have Werth.
by Phrozen on Jan 30, 2012 7:42 PM EST up reply actions
zito and wells will at least be done in two years
howard has 5 more
Trolling the Offseason: Starring Jamie Moyer, Directed by Dan O'Dowd, with Executive Producers Dick and Charlie Monfort
PRMLB Arizona Diamondbacks GM
by papality on Jan 30, 2012 11:24 PM EST up reply actions
I’m aware of that. I’d still take Howard. At least he’s productive, if overpaid.
by Phrozen on Jan 30, 2012 11:36 PM EST up reply actions
Missing the Point on Werth
The Nats back loaded Werth’s contract to be more club friendly, not less. Using a net present value of Werth’s contract it was for less than 100 Million because the club defered payment.
The hate on Jayson Werth is almost like a sickness and it is lazy. If it had been a 6 year 95M contract it would not have even made the list. Even with his contract the Nats still have one of the lowest payrolls in MLB and can afford to resign all current players.
For a contract to be bad it needs to hamstring a franchise like say Crawford’s. The Sox had to sit out FA this year so far due to luxury tax implications.
by jhswick on Jan 30, 2012 11:28 PM EST reply actions
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