The early returns haven’t been great for these three offseason MLB free agent signings.
Last offseason seems like an eternity ago, but what an offseason it was. From the Boston Red Sox sending Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Corey Kluber being shipped to Texas, notable trades and high-profile free-agent signings made the 2019-2020 MLB offseason much more entertaining than last year’s slow winter.
At the same time, it may feel like the 2020 MLB season just started, because it did, however, most teams are about a quarter of the way through their schedule, the trade deadline is quickly approaching, and teams need to act now if they want to put themselves in a position to make a playoff run.
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We haven’t had too long to evaluate how last winter’s free-agent class has performed in 2020, but there have been some notable less than stellar performances early on.
Looking back through the offseason transaction log, let’s see which offseason signings are currently hurting their new teams more than helping in this shortened 2020 campaign.
It’s important to note that things can still turnaround for every player on this list, but the early returns on their deals aren’t very promising.
Atlanta Braves – Cole Hamels (1-year/$18M)
Typically, there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal, unless you give a pitcher $18 million for that one year and he never throws a single pitch for you. That may end being the case with Cole Hamels in 2020.
The 36-year-old has had a noteworthy MLB career leading up to his signing with Atlanta, a move the Braves were hoping would solidify their young starting rotation with an experienced, reliable veteran piece.
Now just a few weeks into the regular season, the Braves are searching for pieces to fill out their rotation after a season-ending injury to Mike Soroka, the demotion of Mike Foltynewicz, and the placement of Hamels on the 45-day Injured List.
Tricep soreness has shut Hamels down up to this point, but the four-time MLB All-Star is hoping to start throwing bullpen sessions next week. He’s eligible to come off the IL in early-September, but how much he will be able to contribute to a Braves playoff run remains to be seen.
There’s a good chance he doesn’t throw a pitch for Atlanta, but if he can avoid any setbacks, the Braves may be able to get some value out of this signing at the most important time of the year. Here’s to hoping that’s the case.