Counting Down The 7 Worst Contracts In MLB History

This week, the Los Angeles Angels designated three-time MVP Albert Pujols for assignment, effectively ending his time with the franchise, and potentially signaling the end of his career.

Pujols, who has been with the Angels since 2012, is 41-years old and was hitting just .198 with five home runs in 24 games this season.

Given his 10-year, $253 million contract, expectations were sky high, but over that span, Pujols hit just .256 with 222 home runs. 

Pujols’ release got us thinking about the worst contracts in Major League Baseball history. Let’s see who made the cut.

Josh Hamilton, Los Angeles Angels

Contract: Five-years, $125 million

The comeback story by Hamilton — he battled back from years of drug and alcohol addiction — should always be remembered. His never-give-up spirit is to be commended, but on the field, things didn’t pan out as expected.

After a monstrous 2012 season with the Texas Rangers — Hamilton hit .285 with 43 home runs and 128 RBI’s — he signed a five-year, $125 million contract in Los Angeles. Then a funny thing happened — he stopped hitting. Hamilton would hit just 31 home runs in an Angels uniform before being traded back to Texas. He was out of the league after the 2015 season.

Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox

Contract: Seven-years, $142 million

There was a time when the Red Sox had no issue with throwing loads of money at players, and Crawford became one of them. Crawford was a burner on the bases — 45 steals or more in seven of his first 10 seasons — and Boston saw a future where he torched opposing teams with his game-breaking speed and athleticism. 

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He signed with Boston in 2011, and would never steal 45 bases again. He hit just .255 in 2011 and lasted only two seasons in Boston before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles 

Contract: Seven-years, $161 million

Davis’ contract came up at just the right time. Baseball was just starting its obsession with analytics and power numbers, and Davis reaped the rewards. He finished third in MVP voting in 2013 and was eventually rewarded with a seven-year $161 million contract. Now, that deal looks like a massive mistake on Baltimore’s part, as Davis hasn’t hit over .221 since 2015.

Davis still has two-years remaining on his deal as he sits on the 60-day injured list after suffering a back injury in Spring Training. 

Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Yankees

Contract: Seven-years, $153 million

Ellsbury was part of two World Series championship teams in Boston, stole 70 bases in 2009, and hit 32 home runs in 2011. And yet, he committed the ultimate sin and signed with the hated New York Yankees in 2014. 

Ellsbury was never ever to replicate his success in New York. Though he was never abysmal, he was unable to live up to his contract and was out of the league after the 2017 season. 

Jason Heyward, Chicago Cubs

Contract: Eight years, $184 million

Heyward was considered a can’t-miss prospect when he entered the league in 2010 with the Atlanta Braves. After a career year in St. Louis in 2015 — .293 batting average, 13 home runs, 60 RBIs, 23 stolen bases —Heyward signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. During his tenure with the Cubs, he’s never had more than 11 stolen bases in a season and has failed to hit above .270. It’s hard to see the justification for the $184 million. 

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers 

Contract: Eight years, $248 million

Cabrera signed a contract extension with the Detroit Tigers in 2014, and boy did the tigers come to regret it. In his prime, Cabrera was one of the most feared hitters in the game — he had back-to-back 44 home run seasons in 2012-2013. Those days are long gone. 

In 2019, Cabrera managed just 12 home runs and he’s currently hitting .098 through 21 games in 2021.

Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels 

Contract:10 years, $240 million

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Pujols was designated for assignment on Thursday by the Angels. He’s one of the greatest hitters to ever live, but his best years are far behind him and his career may soon be over. 

At the time of the contract, most imagined that Pujols did not have another quality 10 years in him, and they were right. Pujols hit just. 256 in an Angels uniform and was never able to return to anywhere close to his MVP form.

Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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