Thursday, April 06, 2006
The Most Over-Paid Players in Baseball
The Associated Press published a list of all the MLB teams payrolls yesterday. Going through the list, I noticed a number of players who will be wildly overpaid this year.
JEFF BAGWELL, 19.3 Million, (Astros) - easily tops the list. Will probably never play again due to a bum shoulder. The Astros might be able to recoup over 80% of the money, once Bagwell is officially declared unfit to play by doctors.
MAGGLIO ORDONEZ, 16.2 Million, (Tigers) - way too much money for a guy who barely got 500 AB's over the last TWO years. Even when he was healthy, he wasn't worth 16 mil.
CHAN HO PARK, 15.3 Million, (Padres) - not even in the starting rotation this year. The contract the Rangers gave him was probably the worst free agent signing of all time. When he was with the Dodgers, Park's ERA averaged over 3.50. That was in one of the top three pitching parks in baseball. Put him into one of the worst pitching parks in baseball and the best case scenario is that his ERA will only climb to 4.50. Would the Rangers have given him the contract if his ERA was over 4.50?
MIKE HAMPTON, 14.5 Million, (Braves) - barely pitched last year before getting injured, and won't pitch at all this year.
JASON KENDALL, 11.6 Million, (A's) - he's durable and catches more games every year than any other catcher, but he hit zero HR's last year and scored just 70 runs in over 600 AB's. Becasue the A's are usually brilliant at evaluating talent, one little mistake doesn't really hurt them.
TORII HUNTER, 10.8 Million, (Twins) - has never scored 90 runs in a season, let alone 100, and has driven in 100 runs just once. He's not an awful player, but 10 million for a guy with a lifetime OBP of .321? Like the A's, the Twins can afford a mistake because they evaluate young talent with anybody.
ERIC MILTON, 9.8 Million, (Reds) - how do you give a pitcher a big contract who's lifetime ERA was well over 4.50? Has given up 43 and 40 HR's last two years.
KRIS BENSON, 8.3 Million, (Orioles) - his lifetime record is 57-61.
KAZ MATSUI, 8.1 Million, (Mets) - was never that great a player in Japan, certainly nowhere near as great as Hideki Matsui, but the Mets signed him to about the same size contract as the Yankees originally gave Hideki. I give the Mets a lot of credit for starting their own cable channel, though. It'll give them a lot more cash to spend on payroll, and make Kaz's signing less painful.
EDGARDO ALFONZO, 8.0 Million, (Angels) - his production doesn't justify his salary.
CARL PAVANO, 8.0 Million, (Yankees) - after getting hurt for most of last year, he's hurt again this year. It was a dumb signing anyway. He had one career year in a pitchers park in Florida, and he's a righty in Yankee Stadium.
JARET WRIGHT, 7.6 Million, (Yankees) - another righty the Yankees gave a big contract too, off of a big year in a pitchers park in Atlanta. He's healthy, but not even guarenteed a spot in the rotation.
TROY PERCIVAL, 6.0 Million, (Tigers) - career probably over.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA, 6.0 Million, (Dodgers) - was worth three times as much at one point in his career, but not anymore. Already on DL this year.
CRISTIAN GUZMAN, 4.2 Million, (Nationals) - probably won't play this year, even if he does he's not worth a tenth of what they're paying him. In over 450 AB's last year he didn't score or drive in 40 runs!
JEFF BAGWELL, 19.3 Million, (Astros) - easily tops the list. Will probably never play again due to a bum shoulder. The Astros might be able to recoup over 80% of the money, once Bagwell is officially declared unfit to play by doctors.
MAGGLIO ORDONEZ, 16.2 Million, (Tigers) - way too much money for a guy who barely got 500 AB's over the last TWO years. Even when he was healthy, he wasn't worth 16 mil.
CHAN HO PARK, 15.3 Million, (Padres) - not even in the starting rotation this year. The contract the Rangers gave him was probably the worst free agent signing of all time. When he was with the Dodgers, Park's ERA averaged over 3.50. That was in one of the top three pitching parks in baseball. Put him into one of the worst pitching parks in baseball and the best case scenario is that his ERA will only climb to 4.50. Would the Rangers have given him the contract if his ERA was over 4.50?
MIKE HAMPTON, 14.5 Million, (Braves) - barely pitched last year before getting injured, and won't pitch at all this year.
JASON KENDALL, 11.6 Million, (A's) - he's durable and catches more games every year than any other catcher, but he hit zero HR's last year and scored just 70 runs in over 600 AB's. Becasue the A's are usually brilliant at evaluating talent, one little mistake doesn't really hurt them.
TORII HUNTER, 10.8 Million, (Twins) - has never scored 90 runs in a season, let alone 100, and has driven in 100 runs just once. He's not an awful player, but 10 million for a guy with a lifetime OBP of .321? Like the A's, the Twins can afford a mistake because they evaluate young talent with anybody.
ERIC MILTON, 9.8 Million, (Reds) - how do you give a pitcher a big contract who's lifetime ERA was well over 4.50? Has given up 43 and 40 HR's last two years.
KRIS BENSON, 8.3 Million, (Orioles) - his lifetime record is 57-61.
KAZ MATSUI, 8.1 Million, (Mets) - was never that great a player in Japan, certainly nowhere near as great as Hideki Matsui, but the Mets signed him to about the same size contract as the Yankees originally gave Hideki. I give the Mets a lot of credit for starting their own cable channel, though. It'll give them a lot more cash to spend on payroll, and make Kaz's signing less painful.
EDGARDO ALFONZO, 8.0 Million, (Angels) - his production doesn't justify his salary.
CARL PAVANO, 8.0 Million, (Yankees) - after getting hurt for most of last year, he's hurt again this year. It was a dumb signing anyway. He had one career year in a pitchers park in Florida, and he's a righty in Yankee Stadium.
JARET WRIGHT, 7.6 Million, (Yankees) - another righty the Yankees gave a big contract too, off of a big year in a pitchers park in Atlanta. He's healthy, but not even guarenteed a spot in the rotation.
TROY PERCIVAL, 6.0 Million, (Tigers) - career probably over.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA, 6.0 Million, (Dodgers) - was worth three times as much at one point in his career, but not anymore. Already on DL this year.
CRISTIAN GUZMAN, 4.2 Million, (Nationals) - probably won't play this year, even if he does he's not worth a tenth of what they're paying him. In over 450 AB's last year he didn't score or drive in 40 runs!
