MLB: The Ten Worst Contracts in Baseball Today

10. Ryan Howard

Finally, the Philadelphia Phillies can see the light at the end of the tunnel, as Ryan Howard’s contract is set to expire after this season. However, they still owe him at least $35 Million for the 2016 season, should they turn down his $23 Million team option for next year.

Since that contract extension went into effect beginning in the 2012 season, Howard has struggled with injuries and a drop in production. A former perennial MVP candidate, Howard has posted a mere .232/.299/.423 batting line with 531 strikeouts in his 1630 at bats. Howard’s power, which had been his calling card, has also decreased, as he only has 74 home runs during those four plus years.

A ten/five player, Howard also has the ability to veto any trade, a hindrance to the Phillies attempts to deal him over the offseason. Of course, it is doubtful how much of a market Howard would have had, given his contract and .229/.277/.433 batting line. Yet, Howard still managed to hit 23 home runs, making him a potentially interesting target as a designated hitter.

However, for that to happen, the Phillies would likely need to eat a large portion of his contract, and include a solid prospect, if they can even get Howard to agree to a trade. Otherwise, at least they only have the rest of this season before he comes off the books.

Next: A fourth starter paid like an ace

9. Rick Porcello

One of the warnings given when signing a player to a contract extension is to make sure that one is not overvaluing that player’s career season. The Boston Red Sox ignored that warning when they handed Rick Porcello his contract extension during Spring Training last season.

Porcello certainly did not make a great impression in Boston during that first year. A ground ball pitcher, Porcello struggled with the mediocre Red Sox infield defense, posting a 9-15 record with a 4.92 ERA and a 1.360 WHiP. Those defensive struggles caused Porcello to change his style, as he began throwing harder to generate more strikeouts, causing him to leave more pitches in the zone.

That extension is now in effect, with the Red Sox owing Porcello $82.5 Million over the next four years. On the surface, the logic of the extension, locking him in from ages 27 through 30, makes sense. However, even in his career year in 2014, when he posted a 15-13 record with a 3.43 ERA, good for an ERA+ of 113, he was just slightly above league average.

In his career, Porcello has been just below a league average starter, posting an ERA+ of 95. That is the type of performance that one expects from a back of the rotation starter, not someone being paid like the ace of the staff. Unless he makes a dramatic improvement, Porcello will be severely overpaid for the next four years.

Next: The Machine running out of steam

8. Albert Pujols

Few players were as beloved in their home park as Albert Pujols was in St. Louis. When he signed with the Los Angeles Angels, it was a shock, as virtually everyone expected Pujols to retire as a Cardinal. However, as the Angels handed him a ten year, $240 Million contract, it was understandable as to why he would depart for the West Coast.

A perennial All-Star and MVP candidate with the Cardinals, Pujols was no longer the same player with the Angels. He has made just one All-Star Game, and has not finished higher than 17th in the MVP ballot. Those Silver Slugger awards and Gold Gloves have disappeared as he battled with plantar fasciitis over the past few years.

While Pujols has still been a reasonable power hitter, he has averaged just 23 home runs per season during his time in Los Angeles. His overall batting line, .264/.324/.474, is still good enough for an OPS+ of 124, but that is a far cry from the type of production that one expected from Pujols when he was signed. However, as he is 36 years old and moving further away from his prime, that 124 OPS+ might be the best that the Angels can realistically hope for.

Albert Pujols has been a great player, and appears destined for enshrinement in Cooperstown. Yet, the fact remains that this contract has not been what the Angels has hoped for.

Next: A shadow of his former self

7. Matt Kemp

In 2011, Matt Kemp finished one home run short of being the fifth player in MLB history to record a 40-40 season. Since that point, injuries have sapped his speed and made Kemp a shadow of his former self.

Signed to an eight year, $160 Million extension that began in 2012, Kemp appeared to deliver on his promise, hitting twelve home runs during the month of April. Then he struggled with hamstring injuries that hampered him for the rest of the season, plaguing him into the 2013 campaign. Those injuries cost Kemp that excellent speed, leaving the Dodgers looking to part ways with the former burgeoning star.

They found a taker with the Padres, who were looking to make a splash and compete during the 2015 season. While Kemp hit 23 home runs, the Padres struggled, leaving them to part with various pieces they acquired to restock their depleted farm system. Kemp, meanwhile, is still due another $87 Million until his contract ends, making it virtually impossible to trade him to attempt to rebuild.

Kemp is off to a strong start this season, with three home runs in his first nine games, but it would be foolhardy to expect him to get back to his former self. For a team with a smaller payroll like the Padres, Kemp’s contract is a severe handicap.

Next: The Round Mound of Pitching

6. CC Sabathia

Once one of the best pitchers in baseball, CC Sabathia has seen his effectiveness steadily decrease since the start of the 2013 season, to the point where he almost ended up outside of the Yankees starting rotation to begin the year.

While he did not pitch all too well in Spring Training, Sabathia is owed $25 Million this season, with a vesting option for another $25 Million based on whether or not his left shoulder is healthy. As Sabathia was the eighth highest paid player in the MLB last year, it is easy to understand why the Yankees would want him to be more than a long reliever.

However, at this point, Sabathia is essentially a highly paid fifth starter. Having battled alcoholism, injuries and an expanding waistline, Sabathia has been below league average, posting a 4.81 ERA since the start of the 2013 season, for an ERA+ of 83. That performance is worst than what Jeremy Guthrie has done in the past three years, while Guthrie made less than half of what Sabathia brought home.

Sabathia’s bloated contract may be a part of why the Yankees were silent in free agency this past offseason, as they may not have had the financial flexibility to add to their team. With $50 Million due through next year, should that option be vested, Sabathia will be quite the drain on the Yankees resources.

Next: The risk of investing in injury prone speedsters

5. Jacoby Ellsbury

Signing a player who relies on his speed to a long term contract is a risky proposition. When that player has a reputation for being injury prone, the risk is only increased. Yet, that is exactly what the Yankees did when they signed Jacoby Ellsbury following the 2013 season.

Handed a seven year, $153 Million contract, Ellsbury performed well in his first year in the Bronx, hitting sixteen home runs and stealing 39 bases while he provided the Yankees with a needed presence in the leadoff spot. However, Ellsbury saw his production drop off last year, and is now part of a logjam in the outfield.

Those injury concerns not only led to the Yankees bringing in Aaron Hicks, but to the expectation that Ellsbury’s playing time with decrease. As his speed continues to decrease, and his injury history, it may be that Ellsbury becomes a fourth outfielder within the next couple of seasons. As he is signed for more than $21 Million per year through 2021, and has a no trade clause, the Yankees may be stuck with him.

Signing Jacoby Ellsbury to that contract seemed like a mistake when it happened, but as the years catch up with him, that contract will just continue to be even worse with each passing season.

Next: The expensive minor leaguer

4. Rusney Castillo

Compared to the other players on this list, Rusney Castillo does not make much per season. However, unlike the other players, he is ‘earning’ his paycheck while playing in the minors.

Expected to be a part of the Red Sox rebuilt outfield, Castillo has instead shuttled back and forth between Pawtucket and Boston. He had a chance to prove he belonged in the majors last year, getting into 80 games as the Red Sox were decimated by injuries. Instead, Castillo struggled, posting a .253/.288/.359 batting line with five home runs. That batting line was only worth a 73 OPS+.

With another chance to establish himself during Spring Training, Castillo once again fell flat, hitting at a .183/.246/.200 clip. With Brock Holt and Chris Young forming a platoon in left, Castillo began the season as the Red Sox fifth outfielder before being sent to the minors two days ago.

Signed to a seven year, $72.5 Million contract during the 2014 season, Castillo is making a somewhat reasonable amount per year, where a team may be interested in seeing if a change of scenery can unlock his potential. However, unless that happens, Castillo may be destined to being one of the highest paid players in AAA.

Next: He has more worries than getting on the diamond

3. Josh Hamilton

When Josh Hamilton left the Texas Rangers for the Los Angeles Angels, it felt as though that move was destined to be a mistake. Given a five year, $125 Million contract, Hamilton had struggled with injuries and alcohol and drug problems. Heading out to Los Angeles, and a much larger market, seemed to be a recipe for disaster.

While he stayed healthy in 2013, those injury concerns caught up to him within the first two weeks of 2014. He tore a ligament in this thumb, then had shoulder issues. That offseason, he backslid into substance abuse issues, leading the Angels to trade him back to the Rangers, in the hopes that returning to his former safe haven would get his life back on track.

While he did perform reasonably well in Texas, those injury woes appeared once more. He strained his hamstring in his first game back in a Rangers uniform, then had his season end due to inflammation in his knee. After undergoing surgery, Hamilton is still rehabbing, and is expected to return in May.

Due another $56.82 Million through next year, the Rangers are only on the hook for $4 Million. However, the Angels are paying the rest of his salary, essentially paying him to play for a divisional rival just to get him off the team.

Next: When chasing the money doesn't work

2. Carl Crawford

Just because a player dominates when facing a team does not mean that team should pursue that player. That ended up being the case when the Boston Red Sox signed Carl Crawford to a seven year, $142 Million contract following the 2010 season.

A former five tool player who made four All-Star games and served as the catalyst to the Rays lineup, Crawford has since been a disaster. Dealing with various injuries, he has yet to play more than 130 games since signing that contract, with that mark coming in 2011. Since then, he has appeared in 326 games over the past four years.

Yet, the Red Sox somehow managed to get out from under this contract. In what may have been the biggest ‘Get Out of Jail’ trades ever seen in baseball history, the Red Sox managed to unload Crawford, along with the toxic presences of Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a collection of prospects and James Loney. Now in Los Angeles, Crawford has become a very expensive fourth outfielder on those rare occasions when he is healthy.

One has to wonder what would have happened if Crawford went to a less pressure filled market than Boston. While his injury woes may have appeared anyway, his performance may have been better without the constant media scrutiny. Instead, Crawford has been a shell of his former self, and one of the most overpaid players in baseball.

Next: Living up to his nickname

1. Pablo Sandoval

Pandas spend approximately 12 to 14 hours a day eating, and then either sleep or avoid physical exertion for the rest of the day. Based on his physique, Pablo Sandoval has taken his Panda nickname to heart.

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Signed to a five year, $95 Million contract after the 2014 season, the Red Sox had felt that they finally solidified third base. However, Sandoval came with plenty of warning signs. Not only does he have a questionable physique, but Sandoval had seen his production decrease in each of the previous four seasons, as he OPS+ dropped from 155 in 2011 to 111 in 2014.Last year, Sandoval seemingly hit rock bottom, producing an OPS+ of 76 with minimal power and horrendous defense, costing the Red Sox eleven runs at third.

This season was even worse for Sandoval. He was benched in favor of Travis Shaw to start the year, and after three appearances for a total of seven at bats, was placed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Now, he is set to see Dr. James Andrews, possibly making the Red Sox dubious placement of Sandoval on the DL an actually valid move.

Next: Five hot starts that won't last

If there is one contract the Red Sox would want a do-over on, it may well be when they signed Pablo Sandoval. However, even with the Padres previous interest in him, he has the worst contract currently in baseball.