MLB Trade Speculations: 20 Worst Contracts That Could Get Dumped at the Deadline

Almost every team nowadays has at least one player signed to an absurd contract. Some teams, like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, have a bunch of these types of players.  

Their contracts are usually the results of one or more well above-average seasons by a player. 

Some of these players have ended up being well worth it for for the teams who signed them, such as CC Sabathia's $161 million deal with the Yankees or Albert Pujols' $100 million deal with St. Louis.

These players have carried their teams to success and produced the kind of numbers that make them very deserving of the money they are making.  

However, there are other players who sign these ludicrous deals and then do nothing but disappoint in their new uniforms.

Some of these players are just one-year wonders who put up fantastic numbers one season and then go back to playing at an average level for the rest of their careers.  

Some of them are established superstars whose abilities just don't translate over to their new team's home ballpark. Some of them are the guys who everyone knows would be able to produce...if they weren't injured all the time.  

Sometimes, it gets to the point where having this overpaid, underproducing player on the field becomes a liability to the team. It's no longer something that can be tolerated, and the guy is actually hurting the team.

When it gets to this point, teams will sometimes try anything to pass off the player on another team.  

However, doing this is difficult because most teams don't have the kind of money to spend on a player who has now developed a history of underperforming.

Usually, the only way these kind of players get traded is when they are traded for each other, with each team involved hoping a change of scenery will help revive the player's career.

I have developed a list of 20 of these such contracts that exist right now in the MLB. These players' teams could be looking to dump their big-contract players, even if they have to pay most of the remaining salary, for a chance to get some production from younger players.

I'm not saying I think all of these players will be traded or released by the deadline, but they are the players whose contracts their teams would love to rid themselves of should the opportunity arise.

20. RHP Joe Nathan (Twins)

A few years back, Joe Nathan's contract looked like a bargain. Nathan had established himself as one of the best closers in the AL, right up there with the great Mariano Rivera.

However, after six highly successful seasons as the Twins' closer, Nathan injured his pitching elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery. Nathan missed the entire 2010 season, and upon returning in 2011, he has been greatly ineffective, losing his closer's role to setup man Matt Capps.

He has posted a 6.52 ERA in 19-and-third innings so far this season, blowing two of his five save opportunites.  

Nathan is owed $11.25 million this season, and the Twins would have to pay $2 million to buy out of the $12.5 million club option for 2012.

It's unlikely any team is going to take a chance on a reliever with numbers as bad as Nathan has, so if the Twins don't want to waste a roster spot on him any longer, they might have to eat his salary and release or DFA him.

Odds of Leaving:  20 percent

19. LHP Mike Gonzalez (Orioles)

Mike Gonzalez has literally lost all respect from his team's fans.

He lost the closer's job that he was signed to fill fairly quickly into the 2010 season. I've seen him get booed countless times at Camden Yards, and the general consensus is that he is wants out of Baltimore.

His contract isn't too bad, as he is only making $6 million this year, the final year of his deal, so if the Orioles seriously wanted him gone, it probably wouldn't be too hard to find a taker.

Odds of Leaving: 70 percent

18. RHP Jake Westbrook (Cardinals)

The Cardinals acquired Jake Westbrook from the Indians last season at the trade deadline. Westbrook had been pitching at an average level for the Indians, but upon joining the Cardinals, his ERA in the second half was a whole run less than it had been in the first half.

It is widely believed that Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan can turn any average pitcher into a frontline starter, so it came as somewhat of a surprise when Westbrook, now signed to a two-year, $16.5 million contract, struggled out of the gate in 2011.

He has gone 7-4 with a semi-bloated 4.92 ERA in 17 starts in 2011, a far stretch from his 2010 performance for the Cards.  

This is not the pitcher that the Cardinals signed up for, and if he keeps pitching like this, the Cardinals may not want to give him a second chance in 2012.

It probably would not be too difficult to find a taker for Westbrook, and his contract is not so large that they would demand the Cardinals pay most of his salary. If the Cardinals keep themselves in the division race, they may look for an upgrade over Westbrook at the trade deadline.

Odds of Leaving:  65 percent

17. 2B Carlos Guillen (Tigers)

The fact that I have to use a preseason team photo should tell you that things haven't gone right for Carlos Guillen this year.

He has yet to play a game in 2011, having been on the DL since August 2010 after the Yankees' Brett Gardner slid into his knee at second base, causing him to need surgery.  

After a successful few years with the Tigers from 2004-2007, Guillen re-signed as a free agent prior to the 2008 season to a new four-year deal worth $48 million, and every one of those seasons thus far have been marred by injuries.  

However, Guillen was once a great offensive second baseman, and when healthy, he can still contribute. He is currently rehabbing at Triple-A for the Tigers, with his return to the majors rapidly approaching.

The Tigers may want to hold onto him for their playoff push, but they also may choose to dump him to avoid future injury issues. It's really to close to call.

Odds of Leaving:  50 percent

16. CF Aaron Rowand (Giants)

Aaron Rowand signed a five-year, $60 million contract with the Giants following a career year in Philadelphia during which he hit .309 with 27 home runs and 89 RBI.

He has yet to even come close to those numbers again, and last year, he found his centerfield job in jeopardy with Andres Torres putting up impressive numbers in the leadoff spot.  

He has now been relegated to a platoon role with Torres, making it difficult for the Giants to justify paying him $12 million a year.  

Rowand's contract runs through next season, so if the Giants were willing to send maybe $5 million with him, they could probably find a taker for his services.  If they could get two good prospects for him, they could probably accept that.

Teams looking for a fourth outfielder or a right-handed bat might be interested in acquiring Rowand.

Odds of Leaving:  70 percent

15. RHP Rafael Soriano (Yankees)

Rafael Soriano has not been a Yankee for very long, having only signed his three-year, $35 million contract this past offseason. However, Soriano pitched quite poorly to start the season after leading the AL in saves last season, eventually landing on the disabled list.

The Yankees may want to wait and see if Soriano can contribute at all to their bullpen once he is activated, and even if they wanted to trade him, the clause in his contract that allows him to decide whether or not he stays where he is each year may not be to appealing to any potential suitors.  

Expect him to stay in New York, after all, $35 million isn't too much for the Yankees to swallow.

Odds of Leaving: 10 percent

14. RF Carlos Beltran (Mets)

Carlos Beltran is the only player on this list that has earned himself an All-Star berth for the 2011 season.

What makes Beltran's contract a bad one is not his performance this year, but his overall performance over the length of his seven-year deal, which he is currently in the final year of.

He has been injured frequently over the past few seasons and has underperformed overall, never batting higher than .284 in a full season over the course of his contract.  

The Mets still owe Beltran $18.5 million this season, and all signs point to them attempting to trade the All-Star. The club has already agreed not to offer him arbitration this offseason, so if Beltran qualifies as a Type A free agent, the Mets would not receive a second draft pick for losing him.

Their best bet to obtain a good return on him is to trade him at the deadline and to try to get the receiving team to take on most of his 2011 salary.

Odds of Leaving:  95 percent

13. RHP Francisco Rodriguez (Mets)

K-Rod has fallen a long way from that magical season with the Angels in 2008 when he broke the single-season saves record by converting 62 save opportunities.

He was lucky enough to be a free agent following that season, and needless to say, he received a huge payday from his new team, the New York Mets.  

Since becoming a Met, Rodriguez has only converted 80 save opportunities over two-and-a-half seasons, only 18 more than his 2008 total. His ERA has also risen by over a full run, and he is currently suffering from what is being described as "dead arm."  

Also, let's not forget his little episode last season, when he punched his girlfriend's father in the clubhouse following a game.

Nonetheless, K-Rod is a decent closer in an era where it seems to be Mariano Rivera and then the rest and would likely draw significant interest if the Mets chose to trade him and his $11.5 million salary.

Odds of Leaving:  65 percent

12. 1B Justin Morneau (Twins)

I know what I'm getting myself into with this one, but it needs to be said.

Justin Morneau has been a very talented player; there is no argument on that fact. However, I feel that, based on the performances I have seen over the past two-and-a-half seasons, Morneau's once-amazing abilities have diminished.

I also feel that we may never again see the Morneau that won the 2006 AL MVP Award, and we also may not see Morneau return to his All-Star form.  Injuries have derailed his promising career, and I personally do not have confidence in his ability to get back to the level of play that was once the norm.

With that being said, the Twins have another young superstar, the face of the franchise, in their catcher, Joe Mauer.

Mauer has already shown what the wear and tear of catching almost every day can do to you. With the amount of money that Mauer will be earning over the next eight years, the Twins need to consider the long-term security for their investment, and Mauer should switch to first base.  

He has already been taking grounders recently, so the Twins have obviously thought about this potential scenario.

If Morneau can return healthy before the deadline, the Twins could also get a decent return on him in a trade. Someone will definitely jump on the chance to acquire a player with Morneau's pedigree.

It really would be the best move for the franchise if they were to rid themselves of Morneau's remaining $28-plus million on his contract.

Odds of Leaving: 60 percent

11. LF Carlos Lee (Astros)

Carlos Lee initially looked like he was going to earn every penny of his six-year, $100 million contract with the Astros, putting up .300-plus average, 25-plus home run, 100-plus RBI seasons in his first three seasons in Houston.  

However, starting last season in 2010, he unexpectedly began to tail off in every aspect of his game, and it has only continued in 2011.  

One possible explanation is that Lee is beginning to age at 35 years old, and his size may not be suitable to play the outfield anymore.

He is still owed $18.5 million for both the 2011 and 2012 seasons, so any team that the Astros might try to trade him to might expect some compensation to help offset his salary.

An American League team looking for some production could be a fit to acquire Lee as a DH.

Odds of Leaving:  65 percent

10. DH Adam Dunn (White Sox)

In the first year of his new four-year, $56 million contract with the White Sox, Adam Dunn has been absolutely awful.

Once considered a lock for 40-plus home runs every year, Dunn only has seven to his name this season, with a measly 29 RBI and a fairly sad .171 batting average. Dunn is also an awful defender, so he has spent the vast majority of his playing time in 2011 as a designated hitter.  

A designated hitter who isn't going to hit is essentially a waste of space in the White Sox lineup and also becomes a liability if they continue to bat him in the heart of the order. The problem here is that nobody is going to want to trade for Dunn unless he can hit, since he holds no other value.

We have come to expect the weak batting average, but the power and RBI need to be there for Dunn to hold any value. Unless they can trade him or he turns things around, it's going to be a rough four years for the Southsiders.

Odds of Leaving:  10 percent

9. 3B Chone Figgins (Mariners)

Chone Figgins was signed by the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2010 season to a four-year, $36 million deal with an option for the 2014 season.  

Figgins had just come off a successful stint with the Angels and had hit .298 with a .395 OBP and 42 stolen bases in the 2009 season, so the Mariners decided to steal him from their division rival.  So far, that move has backfired, as Figgins hit .256 with a .340 OBP in 2010, although he did steal 42 bags again.  

This season, it has only gotten worse, with Figgins batting .187 with a .233 OBP and only nine steals. If the Mariners were willing to front most of his salary, there might be a taker for Figgins, who at the very least could be a great pinch runner and defensive replacement.

If he continues to perform at this level, however, he might just find himself outright released by Seattle.

Odds of Leaving: 90 percent

8. CF Alex Rios (White Sox)

The White Sox took a chance on Alex Rios back in 2009 when the Blue Jays did exactly what this article is all about, dumping him and his massive contract, which at the time still had five years and over $60 million left on it.

The White Sox, for some reason, claimed him and assumed the rest of his salary.

Last season, it seemed that maybe the White Sox had made a pretty good move in rolling the dice on Rios, as he hit .284 with 21 homers and 88 RBI.

This was after watching him bat .199 with three home runs and nine RBI in 41 games down the stretch in 2009, so there was a sense of relief in Chicago that Rios had been able to resurrect his career.  

However, in 2011 so far, Rios has taken another step back, his batting average dropping back down and his production decreasing by about 50 percent.

Maybe the White Sox can persuade another team to take a chance on Rios like they did two years ago, and hopefully, that team will take most of his massive contract too.

Odds of Leaving:  40 percent

7. RHP John Lackey (Red Sox)

The Red Sox signed John Lackey in the 2009-2010 offseason, thinking that the former Angels ace could make their pitching staff one of the best in baseball.

Adding him to a rotation that already included Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and the young Clay Buchholz seemed like a foolproof idea.

It wasn't.

Lackey has been an utter disappointment for the Red Sox. After going 14-11 with a 4.40 ERA (his highest since 2004) in 2010, Lackey has pitched dreadfully for an already-hurting Boston staff.

He is currently 5-7 with a 6.28 ERA, and the five wins are only a product of his team's dangerous offense picking him up.

The Red Sox should try to trade him and either acquire another starter or promote Andrew Miller to the rotation for good.  A good fit would probably be back where he first came from, the Angels, since he obviously has had some success there.

Odds of Leaving:  35 percent

6. RHP Carlos Zambrano (Cubs)

Carlos Zambrano has always been a good pitcher, which is why in 2007, the Cubs signed him to a five-year extension worth $91.5 million. Looking back, however, that is a move that the Cubs organization deeply regrets.

Zambrano always seems to end up with an ERA in the mid-three's, but it always seems to be a rocky road to get to those numbers. This was especially true last season, when Zambrano finished with a 3.33 ERA after a truly unbelievable second half following a meltdown and a stint on the restricted list in the first half.  

Zambrano is viewed as a poison in the clubhouse, and his temper is probably the worst in the MLB.

The Cubs don't have many other pitchers to turn to, but they are just about done with Zambrano and his ridiculous contract, so if another team is desperate enough to roll the dice on him, expect the Cubs to jump at the chance to trade Big Z.

Odds of Leaving:  60 percent

5. RF Jayson Werth (Nationals)

Jayson Werth has been a complete and total disappointment for the Nationals in his first season in D.C.. He has hit .226 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI so far after signing that monstrous seven-year, $126 million contract over the offseason.

That being said, even though the title of this article ends with the words "that could get dumped at the deadline," I don't see any way that the Nats try to get rid of Werth.

It's just too early for them to give up on him, and he is an integral part of their future, so getting Werth on track will be one of the Nationals' most important tasks this season.  

With young phenoms like Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg closing in on joining the major league club for good, Werth is going to be essential to their future playoff runs. Besides, nobody is going to want to take over that ridiculous contract for a guy hitting in the .220's.

Odds of Leaving: zero percent

4. LF Jason Bay (Mets)

You have to wonder what the Mets were thinking when they signed Jason Bay to that four-year, $66 million contract before the 2010 season.

They had already played their first season at the new Citi Field, a home run hitter's nightmare, and then they sign Bay, a stereotypical home run hitter who had just had a great season for the Red Sox...at Fenway Park.  

Needless to say, Citi Field swallowed Bay whole, leading to a .259 average with only six home runs and 47 RBI in 95 games in 2010.  

It hasn't gotten much better for Bay in 2011, as he is currently hitting .243 with four homers and 22 RBI in 56 games.

The Mets have discussed the possibility of moving in the outfield walls at Citi, but if they decide not to, they are going to need to drastically alter the way they construct their team, moving away from home run hitters.

If the Mets tried to trade Bay, they might have to absorb some of his salary, but there would probably be a decent amount of interest from teams with smaller ballparks.

Odds of Leaving:  45 percent

3. LF Alfonso Soriano (Cubs)

Alfonso Soriano's contract with the Cubs is widely recognized as one of the worst in baseball. He signed an eight-year, $136 million deal with Chicago as a free agent prior to the 2007 season and has absolutely not lived up to the Cubs' expectations.

He has fought injuries and inconsistency over his first four-and-a-half seasons with the club and has never shown the ability to become the big-time run producer that the Cubs signed him to be.  

He is owed $18 million annually for each of the remaining years on his contract, so any team that the Cubs might try to trade him to would probably demand for them to at least partially offset the cost of his salary.

Soriano still has a decent amount of power, with 14 home runs to his credit so far in the 2011 season, so a team in need of some pop for their lineup might take a chance on him.

Odds of Leaving:  10 percent

2. LHP Barry Zito (Giants)

Barry Zito's contract with the Giants is one of the most notoriously bad contracts in baseball.

He signed a seven-year, $126 million deal with San Francisco prior to the 2007 season after an All-Star season with the Oakland A's, and after a dominant beginning to his career, it all seemed to fall apart for Zito.

He has never finished a season in San Francisco with a winning record, nor with an ERA below 4.00. It hasn't helped that he has consistently received some of the worst run support in the game, but nonetheless, he has not pitched up to the standards that the Giants have held him to. 

He has barely held on to his spot on the team as the No. 5 starter, and the only reason the Giants have been able to deal with his inconsistency is because they have developed such a strong rotation with the likes of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner leading the team to the 2010 World Championship.

The only way another team would probably go after Zito is if they were swapping huge contracts with the Giants.

Zito is still owed $64.5 million if you assume that his 2014 option for $18 million will be bought out for $7 million.

If the Giants could find someone to take on even half of that, they would probably jump at the chance, but the odds of them finding a taker aren't too great.

Odds of Leaving: five percent

1. LF Vernon Wells (Angels)

The sad part about Vernon Wells' contract with the Angels is that it shouldn't be the Angels' problem, it should be the Blue Jays'.  

In 2006, Wells signed a seven-year, $126 million extension with the Jays, after a season in which he hit .303 with 32 homers and 106 RBI.

Wells would never reach those numbers again, and prior to the 2011 season, the Blue Jays somehow managed to trade Vernon Wells and his monstrous contract to the Angels for Juan RIvera and Mike Napoli.  

The Angels justified the trade by saying that the loss of Rivera's and Napoli's contracts would offset the cost of Wells, but with the way he has played so far, having Rivera and Napoli would have been more beneficial.

Wells is only hitting .212 with 11 home runs and 26 RBI in 57 games thus far for the Angels, who will have to pay him $91 million over the next four seasons.

The Angels made a huge mistake trading for Wells, and I can't think of a scenario where another team would make the same mistake and take him off of their hands unless the Angels fork over a lot of money to the receiving team.

Odds of Leaving:  five percent