X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

They Made How Much? Five Worst MLB Contracts of All Time

patrick corbin fantasy baseball rankings mlb player news

Thunder Dan Palyo takes a look at some of the worst contracts in the history of Major League Baseball.

It happens to franchises in all major sports. Teams give out huge contracts to players and expect a major return on their investment. But whether it's due to injuries or just poor performance, many athletes fail to live up to the expectations placed upon them after signing enormous deals.

We've seen this happen quite often in the modern era of Major League Baseball with the rise of free agency and fully guaranteed contracts. If I had unlimited time and words, we could go through dozens of really bad contracts that have been handed out just in the last twenty years.

But in this piece, I am going to focus only on the five absolute worst Major League Baseball contracts. Most of these players are still officially active, though none of them have made any type of positive impact on their teams in years. Coincidentally, several of them were teammates at one point!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

The Worst MLB Contracts

5. Kris Bryant - Colorado Rockies

Bryant had such an incredibly promising start to his career, winning the NL Rookie of the Year award as a 23-year-old in 2015 and following that up with the NL MVP award in 2016.

That sophomore campaign during which he won the MVP, he hit .292 with 39 home runs, 121 runs scored, and 102 RBI while leading the Cubs to a World Series title.

He was a four-time all-star with the Cubs before being traded away to the Giants in 2021 when Chicago retooled their entire roster, sending Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez all elsewhere that year.

In 2022, the Rockies thought they had landed a franchise player when they signed a 30-year-old Bryant to a seven-year deal worth 182 million dollars. However, Bryant played only 42 games that season due to injuries.

He managed to play 80 games in 2023 but hit just .233 with ten home runs - a far cry from what he would typically produce in half a season during his 20s in Chicago.

This year, he's battled injuries all year and has appeared in just 24 games, hitting .186 with two home runs and 31 strikeouts in 101 plate appearances. He continues to battle back injuries, and now, at age 32, it doesn't look good for any type of bounceback in his career.

The Rockies are on the hook for another four seasons after this year, even if Bryant isn't able to suit up again.

4. Javier Baez - Detroit Tigers

Another member of that Chicago Cubs team was shortstop Javier Baez. His career arc was a little different from Bryant's in that he posted his best two seasons in 2018 and 2019, leading the league in RBI in 2018 with 111 and finishing second in the MVP voting.

Baez was dealt to the Mets in 2021 and then signed his huge contract with Detroit in 2022. Strikeouts have always been part of his game, and he actually led the league in whiffs back in 2021 with 184.

However, Baez was usually able to still hit between .250 and .280 despite all the Ks. His first season in Detroit wasn't even all that bad as he hit 17 home runs and drove in 67 runs while stealing nine bases.

But 2023 saw Baez completely fall off the cliff. He played 136 games for the Tigers but managed just a .222 average and nine home runs. It's been even worse this season, as Baez is hitting just .179 with one measly home run and a whopping 43 strikeouts across 214 plate appearances.

Baez is making 25 million dollars this season despite being one of the worst hitters on the team. That's 11 million more than Jack Flaherty, who is having an All-Star-type season. Detroit is stuck with Javier's contract for at least four more seasons - YIKES.

3. Patrick Corbin - Washington Nationals

Now we get to the Nationals, who have made two of the three biggest blunders in MLB history when it comes to paying pitchers.

Let's rewind to 2018. Patrick Corbin was an All-Star during his last season in Arizona, pitching 200 innings, going 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA and 246 strikeouts.

The Washington Nationals then signed Corbin to a six-year deal worth 140 million dollars. Corbin proceeded to have another really good year in 2019, posting nearly identical stats to his 2018 campaign and helping the Nationals win the World Series (he was the winning pitcher in Game 7) alongside Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.

And it was all downhill from there...

Corbin battled arm injuries throughout 2020 and was never the same again. He's led the league in losses, hits allowed, and runs allowed three times each, and home runs allowed once (when he gave up 37 bombs in 2021).

He's making 25 million dollars this season, which is as much as the next seven highest-paid healthy Nats will make COMBINED. But the good news for Washington is that they are finally off the hook after this season!

2. Anthony Rendon - Los Angeles Angels

Let's revisit that 2019 Washington team that won the World Series, shall we?

Anthony Rendon played a major role on that Washington team, and as a 29-year-old, he led the league in doubles (44) for the second straight season and finished with a league-high 126 RBI.

Rendon seemed like the ideal piece for the Angels to add in free agency to compliment Mike Trout - an experienced infielder who can hit for average, power, and someone who had been quite durable during his time in Washington.

However, Rendon has been anything BUT durable during his time in L.A.

He's played in fewer than 60 games in all five seasons that he's been with the Angels and his remarks this offseason were very off-putting to a lot of fans as he seemed very flippant about the entire situation saying "We have to shorten the season, there are too many dang games."

Rendon is making 38 million dollars this season and has appeared in just 26 games. The Angels owe him 38 million per year for two more seasons and are on the hook for 38 million per season to Mike Trout until the year 2030!

1. Stephen Strasburg - Washington Nationals

Before there was Paul Skenes, there was Stephen Strasburg. I remember skipping work back in 2010 to go to a Harrisburg Senators (Double-A affiliate of Washington) game just to get a glimpse of the phenom in action.

Strasburg was the biggest pitching prospect we had ever seen in the modern era and he lived up to the hype. He was bringing the heat with a 98-99 MPH fastball and then snapping off a wicked knee-bending curveball to strike out hitters with ease.

I'll never forget his debut against the Pirates, in which he whiffed 14 Buccos over seven innings. He looked superhuman and at just 21-years-old was ready to take the league by storm.

Strasburg's career had its highs and lows, but by all accounts, he proved to be as good as advertised and was productive for Washington through the 2019 season.

That year, as we've mentioned with Rendon and Corbin, was the year that the Nats won the title and was a career year for Strasburg as he threw a career-high 206 innings and struck out a career-high 251 batters on his way to an 18-6 record and World Series championship.

But Washington made a huge mistake when they resigned Strasburg after that season. They did not insure the contract, so when Strasburg's arm went kaput, they were forced to pay him 23 million dollars per season anyway.

He hasn't pitched since 2022, yet Strasburg will continue to collect 23 million per year through 2026. It was a sad ending to Strasburg's career and the mistakes made with both Strasburg's and Corbin's contracts forced the Nationals into rebuilding mode that they've remained in ever since. Washington fans have watched homegrown talents such as Trea Turner and Juan Soto flourish elsewhere in the 2020s.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Lands on Injured List With Fractured Ribs
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Kerry Carpenter

Leaves Game with Apparent Hamstring Injury
Brooklyn Nets

Day'Ron Sharpe Heads to Free Agency
Santi Aldama

Receives Qualifying Offer
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner has Team Option Declined
Jabari Smith Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Jusuf Nurkić

Hornets Trading Jusuf Nurkic to Utah
Collin Sexton

Heading to Charlotte
Cam Thomas

Set for Restricted Free Agency
Milwaukee Bucks

Bobby Portis Staying in Milwaukee
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Los Angeles Clippers

James Harden, Clippers Agree on a New Contract
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Oneil Cruz

Smacks Two Homers
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Aaron Judge

Blasts Two Homers, Dealing With Back Issue
Claude Giroux

Signs One-Year Deal with Senators
Yordan Alvarez

has Chance to Return Next Weekend
Minnesota Timberwolves

Julius Randle Signs Three-Year Extension
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Opts into Player Option
Luis Robert Jr.

Heads to Injured List
Gabriel Arias

Carted Off on Sunday
Bryce Harper

Faces Live Pitching
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Remains Out on Sunday
Utah Jazz

Bojan Bogdanovic Retiring From Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers

Dorian Finney-Smith Declines Player Option
Jaylin Williams

Signing Three-Year Extension
LeBron James

Accepts Player Option
Anfernee Simons

"a Possible Re-Trade Candidate"
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Yordan Alvarez

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Porter Jr. Declining Player Option
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Quinn Priester

Fans 11 in One-Hit Gem
Toronto Raptors

Garrett Temple Returning to Toronto
Los Angeles Clippers

Nicolas Batum Declines Player Option
Spencer Schwellenbach

Dominant in Victory
Keon Johnson

Gets Team Option Picked Up
Rayan Rupert

Staying in Portland
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Out of Lineup Saturday
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Garrett Mitchell

to Undergo Shoulder Surgery
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez in Guardians Lineup on Saturday
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Chase Burns

Slated to Make Next Start on Monday
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Carson Schwesinger

Figures to be in Full-Time Role in 2025
Cedric Tillman

Should Have Full-Time Role
Bryce Young

Looking More Comfortable, Showing More Intensity
Charlie Coyle

Blue Jackets Acquire Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood From Colorado
Jack Quinn

Signs Up for Two More Years with Sabres
Brandon Saad

Stays in Vegas on One-Year Deal
Trent Frederic

Inks Eight-Year Extension
Josh Naylor

Exits Friday's Contest Early with Neck Stiffness
Emil Heineman

Shipped to the Islanders
Noah Dobson

Traded to Montreal
John Tavares

Agrees to Four-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Sam Bennett

Signs Eight-Year Extension with Panthers
NYI

Islanders Select Matthew Schaefer With No. 1 Pick in NHL Draft
José Berríos

Jose Berrios Tosses Seven Scoreless Innings in Fourth Win
Nick Martinez

Flirts With No-Hitter, Settles for Win
Gary Sánchez

Gary Sanchez Homers, Reaches Five Times in Onslaught
Trea Turner

Blasts Two Homers, Steals Base
Aaron Rodgers

Roman Wilson Could Fit Nicely With Aaron Rodgers
Josh Simmons

on Schedule to Open the Year as a Starter
Micah Parsons

Contract Length an Issue for Cowboys, Micah Parsons
Denver Broncos

Broncos Unsure How Their Running Back Room Will Look
Russell Wilson

Not the Only Leader in Giants Clubhouse
Jihaad Campbell

to Begin at Inside Linebacker
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
Daniil Tarasov

Panthers Bring in Daniil Tarasov
Frederick Gaudreau

Kraken Pick Up Frederick Gaudreau From Wild
Michael Thorbjornsen

Returns in Detroit at Rocket Classic
Adam Hadwin

Could Struggle Over the Weekend in Detroit
Cam Davis

Hopes Detroit Magic Can Spark Turnaround
Matt Wallace

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Rocket Classic
Joel Dahmen

Not Cutting it Lately
Michael Kim

Searching for Spark at Rocket Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

a High-Ceiling Play in Rocket Classic
Matt McCarty

a Wild Card Heading into Detroit
Emiliano Grillo

Rolling into the Summer Season
Rickie Fowler

Looking for More Magic at Rocket Classic
Wyndham Clark

Brings High Upside to Detroit Golf Club
Max Greyserman

Could Make Noise at Rocket Classic
Akshay Bhatia

a Strong Value Play at Rocket Classic
Eric Cole

Hoping for Better Times at Rocket Classic
Beau Hossler

Searching for Form at Rocket Classic
PGA

Byeong Hun An in Good Form Heading into Rocket Classic
Cameron Young

Looking For Redemption and Possible First Career Victory in Detroit
Collin Morikawa

is The Headliner This Week in Detroit For Good Reason
Si Woo Kim

Back in Competition After Last Week's Withdrawal
PGA

Alex Noren Finishes Tied For 30th at Travelers Championship
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF