The New York Yankees have been accused of buying their championships since George Steinbrenner purchased the team back in 1973. While that may not be the case any longer since his passing, the Yankees will still spend as needed.
Those contracts are always a gamble. No one knows if those deals will work out, even with an established player coming on board. Injuries, a poor fit, age, or any variety of factors can lead to even the best hypothetical deal not working out.
The five worst contracts in New York Yankees history
As the Yankees have historically spent a great deal in free agency, there are plenty of contracts to consider. Some have hit. Others, such as the ones below, have not and were complete disasters.
Let’s take a look back at the first worst contracts in New York Yankees history.
5. Ed Whitson
Ed Whitson was a solid pitcher from a small town in Tennessee, a country boy who liked a relatively quiet life. However, when the New York Yankees came calling with a five year deal worth $7 million, he could not say no.
That signing was a disaster from the start. Whitson and New York did not mesh at all. He clashed with manager Billy Martin with the two eventually getting into a fight at a bar following a gam. Whitson and his wife would receive hate mail and death threats, with fans waiting to heckle him outside the stadium after the game, even when he did not pitch.
It eventually got to the point where Whitson would have a nervous breakdown if he had to pitch in Yankee Stadium. He refused to take off his warmup jacket, no matter how hot it was, so that fans wouldn’t see his number when he was in the bullpen. Finally, after just a year and a half, he was sent back to the Padres for Tim Stoddard.
Somehow, despite those issues, Whitson managed a 15-10 record with the Yankees. The problem was that it came with a 5.38 ERA and a 1.641 WHiP over his 195.2 innings. Those numbers would have been even worse if Whitson did not manage to throw two complete game shutouts with the Yankees as well.
Ed Whitson and the New York Yankees were a bad match from the beginning. This deal was doomed to failure before the pen hit the paper.