MLB Free Agency: The 15 Dumbest Signings of the Offseason

The 2011 World Series came to a close, and suddenly all 30 teams were in first place again. While that will only last one day into the 2012 season, the winter is for finding and signing players who will keep a franchise at the top for 162 games, not just one.

While some signings turn franchises around, others are panic moves by general managers or ill-advised decisions to temporarily silence a fanbase (see Joe Mauer's most recent deal).

While we can't say with conviction yet how poor some of these contracts are because the season hasn't started, here are presumably the 15 dumbest signings of the offseason.

Grady Sizemore

Sizemore was one of the most highly hyped prospects in recent memory, but after a few strong seasons at the beginning of his career, has tailed off significantly. He's been struck with an injury plague and has played just 104 games over the past two seasons combined.

Yet somehow, Sizemore was able to receive a $5 million deal with the Indians. Not surprisingly, Sizemore was already injured in Spring Training and will most likely miss the beginning of the season.

Joel Zumaya

While the deal was only valued at one year and $800,000, Joel Zumaya did not pitch at all in 2011 and infamously injured his hand from playing too much "Guitar Hero" a couple years prior.

His arm used to be super-human (reaching speeds of 102 to 103 miles per hour), but his career has been on a steady decline since he posted a 1.94 ERA in his rookie campaign.

As a surprise to very few, Zumaya already tore his UCL in Spring Training and will miss all of the 2012 season.

Carlos Beltran

2011 was a huge turnaround year for Carlos Beltran, belting 22 home runs and hitting .300, but the Cardinals awarding him with a two-year, $26 million contract could be way too much for a player that has battled injuries in the previous few seasons.

After they lost Albert Pujols to the Angels, the Cardinals obviously were trying to fill a hole in their lineup, but this seems like more of a panic move to keep fans interested rather than a good investment.

Yoenis Cespedes

Billy Beane, 'Mr. Moneyball' himself, uncharacteristically splurged this offseason to sign the YouTube legend Yoenis Cespedes. While his tools are obviously impressive and he faced decent competition in the World Baseball Classic a few years back, $9 million per season is a lot of money to promise a player that has never played in the Major Leagues before.

This move will obviously draw fans to A's games, but the mystique of Cespedes could quickly wear off if he does not perform right away.

Jeremy Affeldt

While Jeremy Affeldt didn't move to a new team, the Giants still might have made a poor decision by exercising Affeldt's 2012 option. A contract for $5 million is a huge investment for a lefty specialist/setup man, especially one with a career 4.12 ERA.

His 2011 season consisted of 67 appearances and a 2.63 ERA, but those numbers still do not warrant paying $5 million for a setup man when there are many closers in the MLB making significantly less. 

Jonathan Papelbon

Could it be any clearer the Phillies didn't want Ryan Madson or Brad Lidge to close games in 2012? Papelbon, who was a part of the biggest collapse in baseball history last season for the Red Sox, was the Phillies' choice as closer, agreeing on a four-year, $50 million contract.

With declining velocity and a history of blowing important games (although he has won a World Series), this is a major investment on a player that will not be able to maintain his current abilities for the duration of the contract.

Chris Capuano

Chris Capuano was finally able to establish himself as a worthy MLB pitcher in 2011 after battling injuries from 2008 to 2010. He logged an impressive 186 innings for the Mets, and was rewarded with a two-year, $10 million contract from the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason.

But upon further exploration of his stats, Capuano had a 4.55 ERA and a losing record in 2011. For an injury-prone player with mediocre stats, is $5 million a year really a smart investment?

Ryan Dempster

Like Affeldt, Dempster remains with his old club for the 2012 season, but at an astonishing $14 million this season. While there was not much the Cubs could do (Dempster had the right to exercise the option), $14 million for a player who is coming off arguably the worst season of his professional career seems like a terrible move.

With a 4.80 ERA and a 10-14 record, Dempster's stats were a far cry from an eight-figure pitcher.  However, he is valuable in his ability to eat innings. 2011 marked the fourth straight year Dempster eclipsed the 200-inning mark.

Frank Francisco

Frank Francisco, the 32-year-old closer for the Blue Jays last season, was signed by the Mets with a two-year, $12 million contract. In typical Mets fashion, this seems like overpaying an underwhelming player, as Francisco had a 3.55 ERA with only 17 saves last season.

After the K-Rod trade last season, the Mets were left without a closer down the stretch and suffered because of it. While Francisco is not a reliable option, he was seemingly the best the Mets could do with their limited budget.

Aaron Hill

Aaron Hill's 2009 campaign was one of the best ever by a second baseman, hitting .286 with 36 home runs and 108 RBI. 

Fast-forwarding to 2010, Hill was a threat to bat below the Mendoza line, finishing with a .205 average.  Last season, Hill played in 137 games last year and hit only eight home runs with a .246 batting average.

So why exactly was he given a two-year, $11 million contract? The Diamondbacks must see potential for him to return to his old form, but it definitely seems to be too steep a price for a guy that has struggled the past two seasons.

Edwin Jackson

Edwin Jackson is a World Series champion with valuable playoff experience, but he's not worth the $11 million the Nationals are due to pay him this year. 

With a team of young studs like Harper and Strasburg that will demand huge contracts in the coming years, why waste the money on a career .500 pitcher with a near 4.5 lifetime ERA?

Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez already headline a pretty solid rotation. This move just seemed unnecessary for the Nats.

Jason Kubel

Jason Kubel is a nice addition to any team, but he is by no means a superstar. After missing over 60 games last season, teams have to worry about his health, and his .271 career batting average is nothing to write home about.

The Diamondbacks giving him a two-year, $15 million contract seems insane for a player that will hit around 15 home runs with 75 RBI if he is even able to stay healthy.

Josh Willingham

His 29 home runs were very impressive last season, but his three-year, $21 million contract still may not be a great decision when all is said and done. Willingham still hit a low .246 in Oakland last season and had 30 more strikeouts than hits (150 to 120).

His 98 RBI was also astounding last year, but the three years before had fluctuated between 50 and 60, raising concerns over whether he could possibly continue the production. He's a big, strong hitter, but his price may be too high.

Jimmy Rollins

Talk about overpaying a hometown guy to make sure he doesn't take his talents elsewhere. J-Roll's new three-year, $38 million contract makes him one of the highest paid middle infielders in the game, and all while his game is on the decline.

The former MVP and World Series champ is a .250 to .270 hitter even in a well-protected lineup, and his ability to hit triples has greatly diminished. He can still steal bases, but expect for those numbers to drop as well as he enters his mid-30s.

Albert Pujols

The crown jewel of this year's free agency and the player with the best stats in baseball history for this point of his career was a dumb signing?

In the sense that the Angels signed the best player in baseball: No, it's far from dumb.

In the sense that it's a 10-year, $247 million contract: Yes.

Pujols will get his 500th, 600th and probably 700th home run as an Angel along with his 3,000th hit, but he's already 32 and his contract expires when he's 42. This will be a great signing for a couple of years, but The Machine is bound to break down at some point, and that would be a shame for the Angels that have so much invested in him.

The signing will likely handicap the Angels' spending for years to come, so his production better continue for the duration of the deal.