Selecting the 2016 MLB All-Overpaid Team After 2 Months
You don't have to be a professional athlete to be considered overpaid. Sadly, there are plenty of people across a wide spectrum of fields who aren't good at their jobs and don't deserve the gaudy salaries they collect.
It's easier to pick out those people when they are professional athletes—like baseball players—with multimillion-dollar contracts and single paychecks that dwarf what many people take home in a year.
To be included on our all-overpaid team, a player must have played this season. That takes obvious choices like Boston's Pablo Sandoval and Texas' Josh Hamilton out of the running. But fear not, for there are a number of other qualified candidates.
So how are we going to determine the most overpaid player at each position?
We'll look at a player's 2016 salary and compare it to his FanGraphs value, which puts a dollar figure on what a player's current level of production would be worth on the open market. More details on that can be found here. The biggest difference, or overpayment, wins.
Who wishes they didn't make the cut? Let's take a look.
Catcher: Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays
1 of 11
2016 Salary: $15 million
FanGraphs Value: -$4.5 million
Difference: $19.5 million
Russell Martin put together a strong first season in Toronto in 2015, hitting for power and garnering some support in the American League MVP voting while providing his customary spectacular defense behind the plate.
That kind of production made the claim that he'd be considered overpaid after signing a five-year, $82 million deal with the Blue Jays in November 2014 seem misguided. But this season? Not so much.
While Martin remains a terrific pitch-framer per Baseball Prospectus, he's been unable to control the opposition's running game, throwing out only 18 percent of would-be base stealers. Not only is that well below the MLB average of 30 percent, but it's light-years from the 44 percent mark he posted last season.
The 33-year-old has been even worse at the plate, hitting .197. He had only one extra-base hit for the entire season until May 25, when he hit a pair of home runs against his former team, the New York Yankees, at Yankee Stadium.
First Base: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
2 of 11
2016 Salary: $25 million
FanGraphs Value: -$8.8 million
Difference: $33.8 million
If you expected to see someone else here, you've either just discovered baseball, been living on Mars for the past few years or are Ryan Howard.
The five-year, $125 million contract extension Howard signed in April 2010 was recently pegged as "the single worst contract in MLB history" by Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, who summed up Howard's lack of production for most of that deal:
"This is little more than the inevitable end to a five-year stretch in which Howard has hit .227/.295/.419 with 79 home runs and 289 RBIs in nearly 1,900 plate appearances. For the privilege of those plate appearances, Philadelphia will have paid $125 million, including $25 million for his work this season, plus a $10 million buyout so they don’t need to suffer through another season of it.
"
The Phillies would gladly take that triple-slash line in 2016, with Howard hitting only .154/.215/.343 with 11 extra-base hits (eight home runs) and losing playing time to prospect Tommy Joseph, who could be the team's long-term answer at first base.
Second Base: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
3 of 11
2016 Salary: $13 million
FanGraphs Value: -$500,000
Difference: $13.5 million
Cincinnati has been trying to get out from under Brandon Phillips' six-year, $72.5 million contract extension, signed in April 2012, for years. But thanks to Phillips' ability to veto trades—his extension came with limited no-trade protection, which was replaced with full veto power last year when he earned 10-and-5 rights—it's been nearly impossible.
This past December, the Reds tried to trade him to the Washington Nationals. A tentative agreement between the teams was reached, but as Jon Heyman, then of CBS Sports reported, Phillips' demands to approve the deal were too high.
"Brandon Phillips sought an extension to OK Nats trade," Heyman tweeted shortly before Christmas. "With $27M/2 years to go, he's already overpaid. Can see why teams didn't do that."
While he's still capable of making highlight-reel plays in the field, Phillips has become subpar at the plate, with a .715 OPS that ranks 18th out of 21 qualified second basemen. Of the 17 second basemen ahead of him, only three—Seattle's Robinson Cano ($24 million), Detroit's Ian Kinsler ($14 million) and Boston's Dustin Pedroia ($13.125 million)—have higher salaries.
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Third Base: David Wright, New York Mets
4 of 11
2016 Salary: $20 million
FanGraphs Value: $4.2 million
Difference: $15.8 million
The above picture of David Wright is appropriate, as it's his back—and neck—that have made him a shell of the perennial All-Star he once was. Spinal stenosis limited Wright to 38 regular-season games in 2015, and while it remains an issue, it's instead a herniated disc in his neck that might force the 33-year-old to the disabled list.
Wright's .788 OPS isn't awful, but it still trails 14 other qualified third basemen, while his .226 batting average ranks 23rd out of 25 players at the position. To make matters worse, advanced defensive metrics (ultimate zone rating/150 and defensive runs saved) grade Wright as baseball's worst defender at the hot corner.
Shortstop: Erick Aybar, Atlanta Braves
5 of 11
2016 Salary: $8.5 million
FanGraphs Value: -$13.3 million
Difference: $21.8 million
Erick Aybar was supposed to be a solid place holder at shortstop in Atlanta until prospect Dansby Swanson was ready to take over. Aybar may have also served as a semi-valuable trade chip for the Braves to play as the Aug. 1 trade deadline approached.
Instead, he has had a rough season health-wise. He nearly choked on a chicken bone in Pittsburgh, requiring sedation so a doctor could remove it from his throat, while a bruised foot recently landed the 32-year-old on the disabled list.
When he has played, Aybar has been a major liability. His .434 OPS is the lowest among all qualified batters, and if the season ended today, it'd be one of the 10 lowest of all time. He's not been much better in the field, with advanced metrics pegging him as one of the worst defensive shortstops in the game.
Left Field: Justin Upton, Detroit Tigers
6 of 11
2016 Salary: $22.1 million
FanGraphs Value: -$3.5 million
Difference: $25.6 million
While some fans likely balked at the six-year, $132.75 million deal Justin Upton signed with Detroit in January, the contract didn't seem like a massive overpay for the Tigers.
After all, Upton was still in his prime, set to enter his age-28 season, and wouldn't be under the kind of pressure he's faced elsewhere to carry the offense—not with a lineup that features the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez.
Instead, Upton has delivered the worst performance of his 10-year career. His .590 OPS is the lowest among qualified outfielders, while his 36.5 percent strikeout rate is the highest in all of baseball among qualified position players.
If there's a silver lining, it's that he hasn't been as bad in the field as some expected he'd be; however, he's not good enough with the glove to make up for such a horrid showing at the plate.
Center Field: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
7 of 11
2016 Salary: $16 million
FanGraphs Value: -$3.3 million
Difference: $19.3 million
Whether it's a nagging injury or, as the Baltimore Sun's Jon Meoli wrote, an unfortunate stretch of bad luck, it's hard to make the case that Adam Jones is earning his paycheck this season. To his credit, Jones has owned his sluggish start.
"It doesn't matter what you think or believe," Jones told Meoli of the outfielder's perspective on the cold stretch. "The results are the results, and somebody's right there to catch the ball. ... You tip your cap and move on. Hit the ball where they ain't."
That's where Jones, whose .234/.292/.360 triple-slash line is by far the worst of his nine-year career in Baltimore, isn't hitting the ball. Only two qualified center fielders, Toronto's Kevin Pillar (.642) and Oakland's Billy Burns (.631), have a lower OPS than Jones' .652 mark.
Making matters worse is his struggles at the plate seem to be negatively impacting his usually above-average defense. The four-time Gold Glove Award winner ranks 16th at the position in UZR/150 (minus-10.1) and dead last in DRS (minus-six).
Right Field: Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves
8 of 11
2016 Salary: $10.5 million
FanGraphs Value: -$3.2 million
Difference: $13.7 million
If Atlanta plans on trading Nick Markakis as the trade deadline approaches, the Braves are going to have to pick up most of what remains on his salary, both in 2016 and beyond. As the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reported May 21, both Kansas City and Philadelphia have interest, but “the money is an issue there, especially with the Royals.”
Hitting .242 with 15 extra-base hits (one home run) and a .679 OPS, Markakis' bat continues to trend downward, as the 32-year-old is now four years removed from his last season with an OPS above .800.
Advanced metrics are split on his defense. UZR/150 rates him at minus-14.3, while Markakis has three defensive runs saved, putting him in a four-way tie for the eighth-highest total among qualified right fielders.
Designated Hitter: Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers
9 of 11
2016 Salary: $24 million
FanGraphs Value: -$11 million
Difference: $35 million
Remember when Prince Fielder was one of the most feared sluggers in baseball? The big fella still has some of that power, as he showed Sunday, when he sent a pitch from Pittsburgh's Francisco Liriano more than 400 feet into the outfield stands at Globe Life Park.
The bad news? That was his third home run of the season. And with Fielder only playing the field every once in a while, nearly all of his value is derived from his offense.
That's a problem, as his bat has been asleep for most of the season. If the low home run total wasn't enough evidence of that, consider his .194 batting average, .298 slugging percentage and .561 OPS—numbers that make him one of baseball's least productive hitters.
Starting Pitcher: Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels
10 of 11
2016 Salary: $20 million
FanGraphs Value: -$900,000
Difference: $20.9 million
It's hard to have success against major league hitters when you're not a knuckleball pitcher and your average fastball clocks in at 83 mph, which, per FanGraphs, is the case for Jered Weaver.
That helps explain Weaver's 5.40 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and a strikeout rate (5.4 K/9) that only a handful of starters have failed to surpass. Among qualified starters, only three—Milwaukee's Wily Peralta (.955), the New York Yankees' Michael Pineda (.952) and Detroit's Mike Pelfrey (.911) have surrendered a higher OPS to the opposition than Weaver (.886).
After enduring a career-worst season in 2015, the 33-year-old has reached a new low.
Relief Pitcher: Drew Storen, Toronto Blue Jays
11 of 11
2016 Salary: $8.4 million
FanGraphs Value: -$800,000
Difference: $9.2 million
You know things aren't going well when, less than two months into your first season with a new team, the organization makes it known it's willing to trade you. Such is life for Drew Storen, who, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, is available.
Problem is, nobody's going to take Storen off the Toronto Blue Jays' hands unless there's substantial improvement in his performance. He's still missing bats at a solid rate, with 21 strikeouts over 17.1 innings of work. However, his 6.75 ERA and 1.67 WHIP are anything but solid and are among the worst numbers of any qualified reliever.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs, and are current through games on May 31. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
