Worst FA signings ever...

[stripmallp]

With the possibility of AJ Burnett being added to this list I thought it would be fun to hear folks opinions on the worst free agent signings they can remember.

My top 9 in no particular order:

Jose Offerman - Red Sox
Mo Vaughn - Angels
Nick Esasky - Braves
Chan Ho Park - Rangers
Mark Davis - Royals
Scott Cooper - Cardinals
Russ Ortiz - Diamondbacks
Denny Neagle - Rockies
Mike Hampton - Rockies

I'm sure there are plenty more. These are the ones that stick out most in my head. My qualifications were that they were signed away from the team they had played with the year before, hence Free Agents. Driefort would have made the list, but that would be the worst contract of all time, not the worst FA signing.

[Birdsonbat]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Tino Martinez - Cardinals

[glucklich]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

With the possibility of AJ Burnett being added to this list I thought it would be fun to hear folks opinions on the worst free agent signings they can remember.

My top 9 in no particular order:

Jose Offerman - Red Sox
Mo Vaughn - Angels
Nick Esasky - Braves
Chan Ho Park - Rangers
Mark Davis - Royals
Scott Cooper - Cardinals
Russ Ortiz - Diamondbacks
Denny Neagle - Rockies
Mike Hampton - Rockies

I'm sure there are plenty more. These are the ones that stick out most in my head. My qualifications were that they were signed away from the team they had played with the year before, hence Free Agents. Driefort would have made the list, but that would be the worst contract of all time, not the worst FA signing.

Bobby Bonilla- Mets
Darryl Kile- Colorado
Darryl Strawberry- LA
David Wells- Ch WhiteSox
Robbie Alomar- Mets (or was this a trade?)

...thats all for now.

[jrivera34]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Bobby Bonilla to the Mets (1st time)
Bobby Bonilla to the Mets (2nd time)
Bobby Bonilla to the Mets (and I think there may have been a 3rd time?)
Carlos Baerga to the Mets (spell check)
Ken Griffey to the Reds (he has barely played for the team but I would have signed him too...so I guess this one doesn't count )

Alomar was a trade. Only the Mets could take an all star and have him turn into a scrub within 2 years. See Baerga mentioned above.

[stripmallp]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Tino Martinez - Cardinals

Tino was bad, but Scott Cooper was worse.

[Karlos05]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Derek "Operation Shutdown" Bell


"Derek Bell becomes the ultimate Pirate: Lives on a boat and steals money."

[oo7Soxs]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Carlos Beltran- New York Mets

I forgot this classic

Juan Gone-Tigers

Did I mention he is hurt again!?

[BGarrett7]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Carlos Beltran- New York Mets

Do you honestly think that Mets signing Beltran lives up the likes of even a Chan Ho Park or a Darren Dreifort? Much less some of the true atrocities mentioned in this thread.

[oo7Soxs]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Do you honestly think that Mets signing Beltran lives up the likes of even a Chan Ho Park or a Darren Dreifort? Much less some of the true atrocities mentioned in this thread.

Considering how much he is paid and the lack of production thus far, yes, it is a disaster.

[BGarrett7]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Considering how much he is paid and the lack of production thus far, yes, it is a disaster.

The Mets paid him $11.6M -- $13.2M if you factor in the signing bonus -- last season for, granted, subpar numbers, but at least he was on the field for 151 games. The Rangers paid Park a combined $42M over his final two and a half years with the club, for an average of $1M per start and $3.2M per victory. No way are these two deals even in the same ballpark. Not to mention, like I said, some of the deals stated above which are even worse than the Park/Rangers debacle.

[oo7Soxs]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

The Mets paid him $11.6M -- $13.2M if you factor in the signing bonus -- last season for, granted, subpar numbers, but at least he was on the field for 151 games. The Rangers paid Park a combined $42M over his final two and a half years with the club, for an average of $1M per start and $3.2M per victory. No way are these two deals even in the same ballpark. Not to mention, like I said, some of the deals stated above which are even worse than the Park/Rangers debacle.

The Mets are still in line to pay the rest of the deal covering 5 more years. He is one of the 9 players in baseball with a $100 million dollar contract and hasn't shown much evidence he is a franchise player. Beltrans numbers dropped considerably across the board after coming to New York. 38 HRs to 16 HRs, 28 SB to 17 SB, .926 OPS to .744 OPS. $100 million dollars for an average player?

[rsox]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Jose Offerman was actually pretty decent for the Red Sox for most of the time he was there.

Worst free agent signing: Albert Belle with the Orioles.

[feedmeccc]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Mo Vaughn- Mets
Kaz Matsui- Mets
Alan Embree- Yankees
Bradon Looper- Mets
Latroy Hawkins- Cubs

[BGarrett7]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

$100 million dollars for an average player?

I would much rather pay an average player who is going to be out on the field at least 140 games an average of $17M a year over seven years, than a pitcher who is going to start average less than nine starts a year for $13M per over five. Even if Carlos only puts up .260/.330/.415 over his career with the Mets he's doing a helluva lot more for the organization than Park ever did for the Rangers.

[CWood2]

Re: Worst FA signings ever...

Worst free agent signing: Albert Belle with the Orioles.

Paying a guy about $8 mil for years after he's done playing probably qualifies as a bad one...