DH Allen Craig
Owed $12 million by the Boston Red Sox
Playing in Triple-A
Craig was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. He made it to the big leagues for partial seasons in 2010 and 2011, then came into his own in 2012 when he hit .307/.354/.522 and drove in 92 runs in 119 games. He followed that up with a 97 RBI season in 2013 and made his first (and only) All-Star team. During these two seasons, Craig earned the reputation for being clutch at the plate by hitting .400 with runners in scoring position in 2012 and .454 with runners in scoring position in 2013.
When Lance Berkman left the Cardinals for free agency following the 2013 season, Craig was slated to be the teams’ regular first baseman. The Cardinals rewarded his two previous strong seasons with a 5-year, $31 million contract that was heavily back-loaded.
Then, suddenly, Craig couldn’t hit at all, whether there were runners on base or not. He started the 2014 season by hitting .237/.291/.346 with the Cardinals and finished the season by hitting .128/.234/.191 with the Red Sox after a mid-season trade. With runners in scoring position, he hit .216. The 2015 season was even worse, as Craig hit .152/.239/.203 in 36 games with the Red Sox. He spent most of the year in Triple-A.
Craig is back in Triple-A this year and he’s still not hitting much at all, but he is getting paid $11 million thanks to the back-loaded contract he signed with the Cardinals. The Red Sox can buy out his 2018 option for $1 million. Craig’s sudden collapse isn’t the worst ever seen in the long history of baseball, but he essentially went from a better than league average player to below replacement level overnight.