The Highly-Paid, Zero Production Team

Call it “dead money” if you’d like, but these players are making millions despite not playing an inning in the major leagues this season.

We’ve all experienced situations that seemed like a good idea at the time but turned out to be a disaster. When I was younger, I thought parachute pants would change my life. They did not. Later, I wore a mullet well past its expiration date. And like most people, I’ve overspent on a player or two in a fantasy baseball auction because I thought they would be keys to my eventual victory, only to be greatly disappointed.

That last item isn’t limited to fantasy baseball. Numerous major league teams have thrown big wads of cash at players and received little in return. Teams have also regularly cut players that are still owed plenty of money. The New York Mets will famously pay Bobby Bonilla $1,193,248.20 every July 1 through 2035 because of a contract that was restructured when the team no longer wanted him.

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The Mets could have paid Bonilla the $5.9 million he was owed for the 2000 season, but will instead pay a total of $29.8 million to Bonilla by the time the restructured contract ends. They can thank Bernie Madoff for this colossal mistake. Bonilla hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2001.

When teams shell out money to a player on a multi-year deal, they have determined the player will earn that money based on projections. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t work out, the team has to decide whether to continue to play the guy, put him on the bench, trade him, or if he’s really bad, cut him outright. Of course, unlike NFL teams, major league teams still have to pay him.

Injuries often play a factor also. Guys like Prince Fielder and Josh Hamilton are owed plenty of money, but likely won’t play again because of injuries. Some fans develop an irrational hatred for an injured player who is still collecting a big paycheck, but it’s part of the modern game. In fact, you could create an entire nine-man lineup with players who aren’t playing in the major leagues but are still getting paid millions of dollars.

These guys haven’t played an inning in the big leagues in 2017, yet are still receiving money from an MLB team.