MLB Predictions 2012: 7 Free-Agent Deals That Will Fail

Baseball season has finally arrived, putting an end to a chaotic offseason. Several teams made noise in free agency, and general managers across the league are hoping their new arrivals deliver.

That is not always the case, however, and several players will arrive in new ballparks only to disappoint fans and front office personnel alike.

With numerous big-money contracts handed out during the winter, there are a few teams who could be left ruing their free-agent acquisitions. 

Here are seven free agents that will fail this season. 

Carlos Beltran a Cardinal Problem

Carlos Beltran is a good player who has had some problems with injuries over the past few seasons. His 2011 stats are good but hardly an indicator that he once again be an All-Star.

In fact, Beltran is in an awful situation because if Cardinals are to compete, they need him to be the player he was eight or nine years ago.

That Carlos Beltran is long gone, and the current version is a solid, complementary player but will be unable to deliver what St. Louis needs to compete in the National League.   

Brewers Will Regret Signing Aramis Ramirez

Aramis Ramirez's goal in life might be to play for every NL Central team before he retires. 

He has already played for three-fifths of the division, if you discount the soon-to-be American-League-bound Astros, and could easily show up in Cincinnati and St. Louis before he retires.

He is now a Milwaukee Brewer for the time being, signing a three-year deal during the offseason. The Brewers signed Ramirez to compensate for losing Prince Fielder, but the move looks doomed to fail.

Ramirez offers some decent pop in the middle of the lineup but seems like an awkward fit in Milwaukee. Like Beltran, Ramirez feels like a desperation signing—one that will not work. 

Carlos Pena's Return to Rays Will End Badly

Carlos Pena is back with the Tampa Bay Rays after a one-year stint in Chicago.

The last time Pena played in Tampa, he managed to hit under .200, and his time with the Cubs probably did not improve this.

Unless Joe Maddon can convince Pena to drop his home-run-or-bust approach at the plate, Pena's return to Tropicana Field will surely be a failure. 

Yoenis Cespedes Will Not Succeed in Oakland

Yoenis Cespedes may become good over time, but this season he will fail. 

Oakland is not very good, and Cespedes needs time to adapt to MLB, especially once pitchers have seen him hit a few times. He has the raw talents to be an All-Star in a few years but has looked a bit rough in the spring.

His massive contract will do him no favors, nor will the Manny Ramirez circus that is sure to ensue once his suspension ends.

Thankfully for Cespedes, the A's are completely irrelevant, and his failure this season is likely to go unnoticed for the most part.   

Whichever Team Signs Roy Oswalt Will Be Disappointed

Roy Oswalt will be one of the most under-appreciated pitchers of his era when he retires. Oswalt is a workhorse but looked gassed last season.

Back problems derailed his season in 2011, and he decided to wait until late spring or early summer to sign with a team.

Whoever that team is will be disappointed. Oswalt will probably win some games but is now a liability to re-injure himself at any moment.

The GM that signs Oswalt will want him to come in and be the guy to push into the playoffs, and with his back issues, that is a gamble that will not likely pay off.

Jim Thome Looking Like a Bad Move

Jim Thome has the look of a man who should be playing softball. A person could read or watch The Hunger Games in the time it takes him to get from home plate to first base.

He can still hit and is a great clubhouse influence, but this will most likely be Thome's last season. It would be surprising if he even makes it through the entire season.

Thome has been hanging on for a while now without producing a lot. This is one of those free-agent moves that is made in hope a player can produce something special.

It seems more likely that Thome will be forced into a midseason retirement than that he'll prove this was a good move by the Phillies.

Twins' Move for Josh Willingham a Reach

The Minnesota Twins overspent on Josh Willingham. This is a move that has disaster written all over it.

The Twins are not in a position to win now, despite what they may think, in a division that features the Tigers, the White Sox and an improving Kansas City.

Willingham does not improve the team from last season's Opening Day left fielder Delmon Young, nor does he give them a foundation to build upon.

It is unlikely that he will match his numbers from last season, and that coupled with his inability to play an entire season makes this free-agent move destined to be a failure.