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After the 2013 season, the New York Yankees thought they had wooed their arch rival's greatest star to the tune of 7 years and $153 million. With injuries and an early release, the Yankees paid this player in the neighborhood of $68 million dollars for games he never played.
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Jacoby Ellsbury
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After the 2014 season, the Red Sox went all-in signing an ex-world series MVP, and a guy who had the highest batting average for the decade in post season play among players who qualified. The player gladly accepted the offer of $95 million over 5 years. The player fought weight issues, injury problems, and extremely low productivity at the plate. He was DFA and released about half way through the contract.
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Pablo Sandoval
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Boston was bit again when they signed a rival team's superstar giving him a 7 year deal worth $142 million. He never came close to replicating his previous numbers in Boston, and they traded him to the Dodgers, who ended up releasing him with one a half years left on the deal.
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Carl Crawford
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In 1984, the Braves signed the 1979 Cy Young award winning pitcher and one of the game's greatest closers for 6 years at $4.8 million. The Braves opted to pay the hurler deferred payments, and they agreed to pay him $1.12 million per year for 30 (yes, 30) years beginning in 1991. While he played, the pitcher was paid $750,000 annually. He would also be awarded $9.1 million at the end of the payments in 2021. The Braves ended up paying over $40 million for a total of 40 saves. Yes, over a million per save. Perhaps they should have just stuck with the 6 at $4.8 deal.
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Bruce Sutter
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In 2014 (not a great year for Red Sox signings), Boston signed a legendary Cuban defector to a 7 year $72.5 million deal. The player ending up playing in only 99 games in the show with a modest .262 batting average and only seven home runs, or a little over $10 million per jack.
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Rusney Castillo
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A one year deal couldn't be that bad, could it? Just ask the Phillies, as they signed a player for 1 year at $2.3 million in 1997, but only received 11 at bats and zero hits. Well, okay, he did get 4 walks and scored 2 runs.
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Danny Tartabull
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During the Pandemic season of 2020, the Braves signed a pitcher to a one year deal for $18 million. Again, one-year deals are safe, right? Well, the pitcher started one game throwing 3.1 innings where he gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, then inexplicably announced to the general manager that he was done because he just couldn't get anything on the ball. Let's see, that's $18 million per start, $1.8 million per out, and $5.8 million per inning. Not too good.
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Cole Hamels
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In 2000, the Mets agreed to buyout the remaining contract on this player for the tidy sum of $5.9 million. Okay, no problem, but they didn't want to pay it at one time, and for some reason, agreed to pay the player 1.2 million per year beginning July 1, 2011 with 8% interest for a total of 25 years. I guess once wasn't enough because in 2004, this player agreed to another deferred payment plan from the Mets and the Orioles that pays him $500,000 per year for 25 years. Leaving the interest out (no small amount) this is over $42 million paid when they could have just spent $5.9 million.
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Bobby Bonilla
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