Who Are Baseball’s Worst And Best Free Agent Signings Of All Time???

No Comments December 29, 2015 Baseball By John Stellman

1st Of A 3-Part Series On Free Agent Signings

Today: The Worst

(20 thru 11)

Thanks to the courageous stand taken by Curt Flood and Andy Messersmith back in the mid 1970’s, today’s baseball players have been released from captivity. They no longer must remain with the team that signed them to their first major league contract.

Freedom of movement was created. And predictably salaries have skyrocketed. It’s an agent controlled auction. Greed has consumed the game. Agents have become wealthy. Players have become multi millionaires.

Win At All Cost

The win at all cost philosophy is out of control. Teams with deep financial pockets rake in the superstars while the less fortunate suffer.

For so many summers it was the New York Yankees who wrote the biggest paychecks. Last summer however, the Los Angeles Dodgers spent approximately $300M on payroll. They were beaten by the New York Mets in the National League Divisional Series.

The loser in all of this is Joe Fan. Although ticket increases varied, parking, concession and souvenir prices went through the roof. And strangely, the biggest spenders were not always the biggest winners. It still takes more than money to buy a World Series ring.

Over the years big dollars haven’t necessarily brought big successes. The disappointments are well documented. Some of baseball’s highest paid non-producers are players you might remember.

manny-ramirez No. 20: Manny Ramirez.

The Cleveland Indians used the 13th pick in the 1991 amateur draft to select Manny Ramirez out of George Washington High School in New York City. He signed with the Indians on June 5.

Ramirez played in only 22 games in 1993, his rookie season. He got his feet wet the following year when in 91 games, he hit 17 home runs, drove in 60 runs and batted .269.

BREAK OUT YEAR

His break out year was 1995 (137 games, 31 home runs, 107 runs batted in and a .308 batting average). Over the next five seasons Ramirez hit 186 home runs, drove in 632 teammates and hit below .309 just once (.294 in 1998). His OPS was out of sight in both 1999 (1.105) and 2000 (1.154).

On December 19, Ramirez signed a free agent contract with the Red Sox. And he picked up in Boston where he left off in Cleveland. He didn’t miss a beat (or a baseball!).

During his eight years in Red Sox gear, 274 balls left the yard, 868 teammates crossed the plate, he batted .312 and had an unbelievable OPS of .999.

Bright Lights Of Hollywood!

Ramirez was sent to Los Angeles at the July 31, 2008 trade deadline as part of a six player, three team trade that also included the Pittsburgh Pirates

There was an immediate frenzy around Dodger Stadium upon Ramirez’ arrival. The bright lights of Hollywood translated into ‘MannyWood’ Tee shirts.

Arriving in the ‘Entertainment Capital Of The World’ , Ramirez was proclaimed a savior of sorts. In 53 games with the Dodgers Ramirez hit .396. His on base percentage was .489, his slugging percentage .743.

He was granted free agency on August 30 of that year and resigned with the Dodgers on March 4 2009. His contract: 2 years, $45M!

The encore didn’t live up to the hype. During the season, Ramirez was suspended 50 games for illegal drug use. In 104 games his slash line was .290/.418/.531. After compiling numbers of .311, .405 and .510, the following season, Ramirez was waived by the Dodgers on August 30, 2010.

He ended the year with the White Sox and got into five games the following year in Tampa Bay. He played what would be his final game on April 6, 2011 although he later signed with Oakland (2012), Texas (2013) and the Cubs (2014).

No. 19: Jason Bay.

Drafted by Montreal on he 22nd round of the 2000 amateur draft, Bay signed with the Expos on June 16 of that year. Ironically, he never played a game for Montreal.

Bay bounced around his first 7 years. After playing just three games in San Diego, Bay moved on to Pittsburgh where in six seasons he hit 139 home runs and collected 452 RBI. He went from the Pirates to Boston on July 31, 2008 as part of the Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers trade.

He played in 200 games with Boston over the next 15 months, hitting .274. whacking 45 home runs and knocking in 156 runs before signing a 4 year, $66M contract with the New York Mets on December 29, 2009.

Bothered by assortment of nagging injuries, Bay played only 288 games in three unproductive years with the Mets. He hit just 26 home runs, drove in 124 runs batted only .234. Sadly, the outfielder was released on August 6, 2013 after playing in just 68 games with Seattle.

No Legacy Left Behind

No. 18: Milton Bradley.

Drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1996, Bradley signed with club on July 1. Bradley’s climb up the ladder to the major leagues took FIVE YEARS. When he finally arrived in Montreal in 2000, he played in only 42 games. Sixty seven games into his second season, Bradley was dispatched to Cleveland.

He didn’t exactly leave a legacy (.222, three home runs, 34 RBI) behind.

His third year with the Indians was his best. In 101 games, the mercurial outfielder cracked 10 home runs, drove in 56 mates, hit .321 and accumulated an impressive .923 OPS.

Yet despite the signs of encouragement, Bradley, who never stayed in one in place very long, was out the door and headed west.

On April 3, 2004 Bradley packed his bags and left for Los Angeles.

You would have thought that coming home might ignite a spark in Bradley. After all, he graduated from Polytechnic High School in nearby Long Beach. Quite the contrary, the troubles that had followed Bradley from stop to stop were not dimmed by the bright lights of Hollywood.

Probably the most memorable event during his Dodger Stadium stay was the night he tried to CLIMB INTO THE STANDS down the right field foul line in pursuit of a vocal, agitating fan.

A loose cannon both on and off the field, Bradley didn’t exactly distinguish himself during his two year stay in Tinseltown. But his 32 home runs, 105 RBIs and .275/.358/.446 slash line obviously impressed the Oakland Athletics.

A Steal Of A Deal

The A’s acquired Bradley on December 13, 2005. In exchange for the combustible outfielder and Antonio Perez, the Dodgers received Andre Either. In his 10 seasons in Los Angeles, Either has slugged 159 home runs, driven in 682 teammates and accumulated an impressive .286/.359/.464 slash line.

Bradley, meanwhile, continued to go downhill. Traded to San Diego on June 29, 2007, Bradley was granted free agency by the Padres on October 29. On December 10 he signed with Texas. He was released on October 30, 2008 after just one season with the Rangers.

Then for some inexplicable reason, the Chicago Cubs on January 9, 2009 inked Bradley to a 3-year, $30M contract. Shockingly, Bradley’s stay in the Windy City lasted one summer.

On December 18 of that year, Bradley was sent packing again. This time to Seattle. After 28 games in 2011, Bradley was released by the Mariners. He never again resurfaced.

No. 17 Albert Belle.

Drafted by Cleveland on the second round of the 1987 draft and signed on August 27, Albert Belle was a beast at the plate. The 6’1, 190-pounder crushed the baseball with regularity.

Despite playing only 62 games in 1989 and nine the following year, Belle’s eight year numbers in Cleveland were monstrous. He hit 242 home runs, drove in 751 runs that complemented a slash line of .295/.369/.580.

Belle was granted free agency on October 28 and signed a two year deal with the Chicago White Sox on November 19, 1996. He picked up in Chicago where he left off in Cleveland. He hit 79 home runs, drove in 268 teammates and had an OPS of .937.

He left via free agency on November 19 and signed a gigantic 5-year, $65M deal with Baltimore on the first of December.

Despite again putting up impressive numbers (.289 batting average with 60 home runs and 220 runs batted in), Belle’s injury plagued career sadly came to a premature conclusion which was as painful as it was agonizing,

On October 1, 2000 against the New York Yankees Albert went 1-for-3 in his final game. How fitting that the one hit was a two run home run.

No. 16 Mo Vaughn.

The Boston Red Sox scouting department did themselves proud by using their first selection in the 1989 amateur draft (23rd overall) on Moe Vaughn.

The 6’1, 225-pound first baseball had eight extremely productive years in Beantown. He was consistent at the plate. hitting .304. He hit with power as well, slugging 230 home runs, driving in 752 runs and accumulating a .936 OPS.

MONSTROUS SEASON

After a monstrous season in 1998 when he belted 40 home runs, drove in 115 runs and had a slash line of .337/.402/.591, Vaughn opted for free agency on October 23. In less than two months, on December 11, he put his signature on a 3 year, $46.5M contract with the Angels.

His first two seasons in Anaheim Vaughn earned his money. He hit .276 with 69 home runs and 225 runs batted in. Unfortunately, that third year never materialized.

On opening night, 2001, Vaughn stumbled into the first base dugout in pursuit of a foul pop up and suffered a season ending injury. On December 27, the Angels traded Vaughn to the New York Mets for right handed pitcher Kevin Appier.

His 27th game of the 2003 season was his last. Vaughn ended his career going 0-for-3.

No. 15 Barry Zito.

The third time was a charm for Barry Zito. After failing to sign a contract with either the Seattle Mariners in 1996 or the Texas Rangers two years later, 6’5 205 pound left hander finally agreed to a contract with the Oakland Athletics on June 12, 1999.

After making just 14 starts (7-4) in 2000, Zito exploded the following season. His 17-8 record to go along with an ERA of 3.49 quickly established him as one of the game’s bright, young stars. But 2002 was really his break out year. Known for his high arching slow curve ball. the Las Vegas Nevada native put together a Cy Young Award winning season.

CY YOUNG AWARD

Zito fashioned a 23-5 record which he distinguished with a 2.75 ERA. The A’s ace captured 114 votes from the Baseball Writers Association Of America to edge Boston’s Pedro Martinez, who collected 96 votes. Martinez also distinguished himself, putting up 20-4, 2.26 ERA numbers.

But Zito was on his way. In his eight years in the East Bay, Oakland’s workhouse compiled a record of 102 wins and 63 losses. And only once, in 2004, did Zito allow more than four runs a game (4.48).

From 2001 through 2006, his last season in Oakland (16-10), Zito eclipsed 200 innings. On November 1 of that year, he was granted free agency, And on the 29th of December he went across the Bay to sign with the San Francisco Giants.

His contract was a whopping 7 year, $126M deal!

San Francisco never got its monies worth. It wasn’t until 2012 that Zito had his first winning season (15-8) as a Giant. He hardly distinguished himself during his eight years in a Giant uniform, Zito’s records was 63-80. His ERA: 4.62. And his WHIP: 1.439. But thanks to his agent, Scott Boras, Zito retired a very wealthy man.

No. 14 Jason Schmidt.

An eighth round selection by the Atlanta Braves in 1991, Jason Schmidt put his name on the dotted line on June 14 of that year. After two rather uneventful seasons as a Brave, Schmidt was dealt to Pittsburgh on August 30, 1996.

Steel City Swan Dive

Mediocrity followed Schmidt to the Steel City where he had a very ordinary seven year stay. His nondescript 44-47 record was accompanied by a 4.39 ERA.

It wasn’t until he was traded to San Francisco in July 30, 2001 that Schmidt started to be heard from. He finished that season winning seven of eight games and resigned with the Giants on December 18. From 2002 through 2006 Schmidt was 71-36 and on his way to a big payday.

On December 6, 2006 Schmidt inked a 3 year, $47M contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After going 1-4 (6.31) in 2007, missing all of 2008 with shoulder problems, and just 2-2 (5.60) in 2009, Schmidt was released on November 11.

No. 13 Oliver Perez.

Signed by the San Diego Padres in 1999, Oliver Perez on June 16, 2002 won his major league debut in a five inning start against the Seattle Mariners.

The first five years saw Perez accomplish little with either the Padres (8-18) or Pittsburgh (21-28) before a trade on July 31, 2006. sent him to the Mets.

His reward for two solid seasons in New York (25-17) was a 3 year, $36M contract which he signed on February 2, 2009. Perez responded with seasons of 3-4 and 0-5.

New York swallowed the final $12M of his contract and Perez didn’t resurface until he was inked by Seattle on January 18, 2012.

He was 4-6 during his two years in Seattle, 3-4 with Arizona in 2014 and 2-4 with the Diamondbacks and Houston last season.

No. 12 Carl Povano.

Drafted by Boston with the 13th pick in 1994, Palvano signed with the Red Sox on June 30 of that year. Palvano never pitched for the BoSox. He was dealt to Montreal on November 18, 1997. The 6’5. 265 pound right hander made his debut against Philadelphia on May 23, 1998.

He hurled seven strong innings, giving up one earned run on three hits while striking out six and not issuing a walk.

Are You Kidding Me???

His five years with the Expos weren’t exactly eye opening (24-35) but his stay in Florida apparently resurrected his career. Palvano was 33-23 for the Marlins and grabbed the attention of the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers. always looking to be in the limelight, signed Palvano to a 4 year, $39.95M contract.

Talk about a Brinks Robbery in broad daylight. In three years with the Yankees, Palvano made just 26 starts which produced a less than stellar 9-8 record with a 5.00 earned run average.

Between 2009 and 2012 the oft-injured hurler bounced between Cleveland (1 yr, 9-8) and Minnesota (4 yrs, 33-33). Palvano pitched his last game on June 1, 2012 and was released on October 29. You couldn’t blame him if he laughed all the way to the bank!

No. 11 Chone Figgins.

Desmons DeChone Figgins was a fourth round draft pick by Colorado on June 3, 1977 and signed with the Rockies six days later. He was traded to Anaheim on July 13, 2001 before he ever played for Colorado. His inauspicious debut as an Angel included a zero line against Boston on August 25, 2002.

Break Out Season

His breakout season in Anaheim didn’t occur until 2004, two years after the Angels won their only World Championship. In 148 games, the feisty speedster laced out 22 doubles, 17 triples, swiped 34 bases, hit .296 and had an OPS of .770. The next year Figgins had career highs in doubles (25) and steals (62).

During his eight years in Anaheim, the 5’8, 180 pounder raced for 148 doubles, 53 triples. stole 280 bases, hit .291 and manufactured an OPS of .751. That earned him a 4year, $36M contract which he signed with Seattle on December 8, 2009. Anaheim also offered Figgins $9M a year, but for only three years.

Over Paid, Under Performed.

His production dropped in 2010 when stroked only 21 double, two triples, stole 42 bases and hit .259. After playing in 161 games in his first year as a Mariner, Figgins got into only 81 games in 2011 and just 66 the following year. His three year totals in Seattle were a minuscule 37 doubles, five triples, 57 stolen bases, and .227 batting average to go along with an OPS of .585. He was released by the M’s on November 28, 2012.

After being signed (February 8, 2013) and released (March 20, 2013) by Miami, Figgins finally signed with the Dodgers on January 24, 2014. In 38 games he had 13 hits and batted on .217. He played his last game on June 13 and was released two months later.

This list was compiled by A.J. Eisma of MLB. com.

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John Stellman

I was born with sports in my blood. I began coaching little league baseball at 15. I was the sports editor of my high school newspaper. I did football play by play for the college radio station. I broadcast high school basketball for a local commercial station. But baseball was always my passion. During the 1970's I covered the Angels for the Orange County Register. And now I am back where I belong...