The Contract Every MLB Team Wishes Could Vanish from Its 2021 Payroll
The 2020 season was a costly one for teams across Major League Baseball, as the league reportedly lost about $3 billion while playing a shortened schedule in empty stadiums.
After a year like that, bad contracts will weigh more heavily in 2021.
We've pinpointed one guaranteed salary that each team might wish would magically vanish from its payroll for next season. These generally belong to players who are owed a significant amount of money yet who promise to provide very little production in return.
We'll proceed in alphabetical order by city.
Arizona Diamondbacks: SP Madison Bumgarner
1 of 30
2021 Salary: $19 million
When the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Madison Bumgarner to a five-year, $85 million contract in December 2019, the idea was for him to be the ace of their staff and a key cog in their return to the playoffs.
Neither panned out in 2020.
Bumgarner missed time with a back strain and pitched to an ugly 6.48 ERA and a career-low strikeout rate in nine starts when he was healthy. After winning 85 games in 2019, the D-backs sunk to last place in the National League West with a 25-35 record.
Because Bumgarner is now 31 years old, the iffy durability and the velocity drop that defined his 2020 season might be early warnings of his new normal. If so, he simply can't be the ace that Arizona needs.
Atlanta: CF Ender Inciarte
2 of 30
2021 Salary: $8.7 million
Ender Inciarte had a good run for Atlanta between 2016 and 2018, racking up a .287 average and winning a Gold Glove each year.
Over the last two seasons, however, Inciarte has been a non-factor.
In 2019, back and hamstring injuries limited the 30-year-old to only 65 games. He played in 46 games in 2020 but took only 131 plate appearances and hit just .190 as he mostly worked as a defensive specialist.
That much doesn't figure to change in 2021, wherein Atlanta will be able to field an all-homegrown outfield of Ronald Acuna Jr., Cristian Pache and Drew Waters. Atlanta would probably prefer to put Inciarte's $8.7 million salary toward pitching or a new deal for free-agent slugger Marcell Ozuna.
Baltimore Orioles: 1B Chris Davis
3 of 30
2021 Salary: $21.1 million
When the Baltimore Orioles re-signed Chris Davis to a seven-year, $161 million deal in January 2016, he was coming off winning his second home run title in three seasons.
Unfortunately, the last four seasons have seen Davis rapidly devolve into a massive liability. He's hit just .185 with a .615 OPS, with a league-worst minus-6.4 rWAR.
When asked about Davis in September, Orioles general manager Mike Elias noted that the 34-year-old is still under contract through 2022 and that the team does "not have plans to alter that fact."
Baltimore can only get out of paying Davis if he retires, which he almost certainly won't do. But at this point, there's logic in cutting him loose anyway and salvaging his roster spot.
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Boston Red Sox: DH J.D. Martinez
4 of 30
2021 Salary: $19.4 million
The biggest salary on the Boston Red Sox's 2021 payroll belongs to ace left-hander Chris Sale, who missed all of 2020 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
But barring any setbacks, Sale will indeed return to the mound in 2021. Even if it wishes it didn't have to pay him $30 million, Boston is surely looking forward to having his help in its otherwise thin starting rotation.
The Red Sox's offense, on the other hand, might not need J.D. Martinez next season. Especially not the version of him that showed up in 2020, as he mustered only a .680 OPS and seven homers in 54 games.
Considering Martinez's peripheral stats also plunged this season, the 33-year-old suddenly looks like a designated hitter who can't hit.
Chicago Cubs: RHP Craig Kimbrel
5 of 30
2021 Salary: $16 million
The early months of the 2019 season revealed serious shortcomings in the Chicago Cubs bullpen. Fortunately for them, seven-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel was still a free agent as May gave way to June.
But ever since signing a three-year, $43 million contract, Kimbrel has spent much of his time in Chicago either injured or struggling. Altogether, he's made 41 appearances and posted a 6.00 ERA with 24 walks and 11 home runs allowed.
In fairness, the 32-year-old capped his 2020 season with a dominant run through September. If he can pick up where he left off, his 2021 campaign could prove to be a vintage effort.
However, whether the Cubs want to chance that is another question. We're guessing they'd rather free up Kimbrel's $16 million salary for other needs.
Chicago White Sox: UTIL Leury Garcia
6 of 30
2021 Salary: $3.5 million
Consider this a shrug.
The Chicago White Sox's three most expensive salaries for 2021 belong to catcher Yasmani Grandal ($18.3 million), left-hander Dallas Keuchel ($18 million) and first baseman Jose Abreu ($17.7 million). Abreu is a finalist for the 2020 American League MVP, while Grandal and Keuchel are also essential.
After those three, there's shortstop Tim Anderson ($7.3 million), third baseman Yoan Moncada ($6.8 million), left fielder Eloy Jimenez ($4.3 million) and center fielder Luis Robert ($3.5 million). Those are four bargains.
Though Leury Garcia is arguably a bargain in his own right, the 29-year-old is also a part-time player who really only brings defensive versatility and speed to the table. Dare we say Chicago could live without him?
Cincinnati Reds: 1B Joey Votto
7 of 30
2021 Salary: $25 million
In Joey Votto, the Cincinnati Reds have a potential future Hall of Famer who's still a reasonably effective everyday first baseman.
Votto is one of only 19 hitters to take over 7,000 plate appearances and do better than a .300/.400/.500 slash line. And after posting a career-low .768 OPS in 2019, he rebounded in 2020 for an .800 OPS.
Yet there's little question the 37-year-old's prime is firmly in his past. He still gets his walks in, but his diminishing exit velocity reflects his ongoing power drain.
Even if he is indeed one of the franchise's all-time great players, the Reds might wish they could put Votto's $25 million toward a different bat or a new contract for free-agent ace Trevor Bauer.
Cleveland: C Roberto Perez
8 of 30
2021 Salary: $5.5 million
Cleveland has only three players under guaranteed contracts for 2021: Jose Ramirez, Carlos Carrasco and Roberto Perez.
It suffices to say that the first two are in good standing with the club. After a difficult season in 2019, Ramirez reemerged as an MVP finalist in 2020. Carrasco, meanwhile, bounced back from a bout with leukemia to post a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts.
Perez didn't have such a good time in 2020, specifically at the plate. Albeit in only 110 plate appearances, he hit just .165 with three extra-base hits.
Granted, the 31-year-old's defense did net him his second straight Gold Glove. But if Cleveland is fine with having a defense-first catcher behind the plate, Austin Hedges can fill that role for cheaper.
Colorado Rockies: UTIL Ian Desmond
9 of 30
2021 Salary: $8 million
In light of his public dissatisfaction and his own offensive struggles in 2020, the Colorado Rockies may feel uncomfortable about having Nolan Arenado and his huge contract on their hands.
But if Arenado makes a full recovery from a left shoulder injury, the 29-year-old should rekindle the offensive form that resulted in a .937 OPS and 40 homers per year between 2015 and 2019.
Even though he'll only make roughly a quarter of Arenado's $35 million salary, there's probably less of a chance that Ian Desmond will justify his own earnings in 2021.
Before he opted out of the 2020 season, the 35-year-old hit just .252/.313/.452 in his first three seasons with Colorado. By way of his minus-3.2 rWAR, he was one of the worst players in baseball in that span.
Detroit Tigers: DH Miguel Cabrera
10 of 30
2021 Salary: $30 million
The one and only player the Detroit Tigers have under contract for 2021 is Miguel Cabrera, who's currently drifting through his twilight years.
Cabrera won back-to-back AL MVPs in 2012 and 2013, and was generally an annual MVP contender and All-Star in 13 seasons between 2004 and 2016. At some point, he's going to end up in the Hall of Fame.
Right now, though, the 37-year-old simply isn't the hitter he used to be. He's hit .267 with a modest .749 OPS over the last four seasons, in which he's undercut his resilient ability to drive the ball with more frequent strikeouts.
Even if they're still glad to have Cabrera around while they rebuild, the Tigers probably wouldn't mind if his salary suddenly came off their books.
Houston Astros: SP Justin Verlander
11 of 30
2021 Salary: $33 million
If he were able to pitch in 2021, Justin Verlander would probably have little trouble earning his salary.
He is, after all, an eight-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner who's posted a 2.45 ERA in four seasons with the Houston Astros. He arguably had the best season of his career in 2019, wherein he had a 2.58 ERA with 300 strikeouts and only 42 walks in 223 innings.
Trouble is, Verlander won't be able to pitch next season. The 37-year-old will still be recovering from the Tommy John surgery that he underwent in September.
With cash otherwise tight, the Astros' World Series odds for 2021 would look a lot better if they suddenly had $33 million freed up to, say, re-sign free-agent outfielders George Springer and Michael Brantley.
Kansas City Royals: SP Danny Duffy
12 of 30
2021 Salary: $15.5 million
As they pursue a rebuild, the Kansas City Royals are down to only three players under guaranteed contracts: Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield.
If they're so inclined, the Royals could get nice hauls for the latter two on the trade market. Perez, 30, is one of baseball's most reliable catchers. Merrifield, 32, is perhaps the league's most dynamic utility man.
But Duffy? Not so much.
He pitched like a top-of-the-rotation starter between 2014 and 2017, but his fastball and his results (i.e., a 4.68 ERA in 63 appearances) have wilted over the last three seasons. As much as the Royals might want to move all of his 2021 salary, they'd probably have to eat some of it in order to trade the 31-year-old.
Los Angeles Angels: 1B Albert Pujols
13 of 30
2021 Salary: $30 million
The good news for the Los Angeles Angels is that 2021 is the final season of the 10-year, $240 million contract that Albert Pujols signed in December 2011.
The bad news is that there's virtually no chance of the future Hall of Famer going out on a high note.
Though Pujols should be credited for playing on a near-everyday basis over the last four seasons, the Angels have only gotten a .697 OPS and minus-0.8 rWAR out of him in this span. What's more, he'll turn 41 years old on January 16.
Though the Angels obviously can't get out of paying Pujols' $30 million salary for 2021, they can be forgiven if they're privately thinking about what kind of pitching (e.g., Trevor Bauer) that money would otherwise buy them this winter.
Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP Joe Kelly
14 of 30
2021 Salary: $8.3 million
The Los Angeles Dodgers are (finally) World Series champions in large part because they've mostly spent their money wisely in free agency in recent years.
However, there is no greater exception than their three-year, $25 million deal with Joe Kelly.
The Dodgers inked Kelly not long after he dominated them in the 2018 World Series as a member of the Red Sox, appearing in all five games and throwing six scoreless innings. But he had a history of volatility before then, and he's only added to it in two wildly up-and-down seasons with the Dodgers.
After Kelly's average fastball (which once sat at 99.0 mph in 2017) dipped to 97.0 mph in 2020, the 32-year-old doesn't seem particularly likely to straighten his performance out in 2021.
Miami Marlins: LF Corey Dickerson
15 of 30
2021 Salary: $9.5 million
The Miami Marlins are yet another team with only three players on guaranteed contracts for 2021: Starling Marte, Miguel Rojas and Corey Dickerson.
Marte is one of baseball's top two-way center fielders, while Rojas is a veteran leader who put up spectacular offensive numbers (i.e., a .304 average and .888 OPS) for a shortstop in 2020.
Dickerson, meanwhile, came to Miami on a two-year, $17.5 million deal after having established himself as a quality hitter with Gold Glove upside on defense. Yet in posting exactly 0 rWAR, he flopped on both sides of the ball for the Marlins in 2020.
Granted, this arguably makes the 31-year-old a rebound candidate for 2021. But if they had their way, the Marlins might nonetheless prefer to put his $9.5 million salary toward a more dependable bat.
Milwaukee Brewers: OF Avisail Garcia
16 of 30
2021 Salary: $10.8 million
The Milwaukee Brewers have three outfielders set to make eight-figure salaries in 2021, and two of them figure to be worth it and then some.
Even after a down year in 2020, Christian Yelich is a candidate to rediscover his MVP-caliber form of 2018 and 2019 in 2021. After opting out of the remainder of 2020 in August, Lorenzo Cain should return with more of his two-way brilliance next season.
It's harder to know what to make of Avisail Garcia's outlook for 2021. On one hand, the .333 OBP that he posted in 2020 was better than he usually does. On the other, he paired it with only two homers and minus-0.5 rWAR.
Perhaps Garcia will rebound in 2021, but $10.8 million is a bit much for the Brewers to pay to find out.
Minnesota Twins: 3B Josh Donaldson
17 of 30
2021 Salary: $21 million
For the Minnesota Twins, the first year of Josh Donaldson's four-year, $92 million contract was both rewarding and alarming.
Rewarding, in the sense that Donaldson more or less lived up to his exceptional offensive track record. Though he managed only a .222 average, he made up for it with an .842 OPS and six homers in 28 games.
Yet the reality that Donaldson played in only 28 games is indeed the alarming part. He had to go on the IL with a strained calf, marking the third season out of four in which his calf muscles have sidelined him for significant time.
Because he'll turn 35 on December 8, Donaldson is a bit too old for the Twins to assume that the injury bug will reverse course and leave him alone in 2021.
New York Mets: RHP Dellin Betances
18 of 30
2021 Salary: $6.8 million
Dellin Betances surprised nobody when he exercised his player option for 2021, but the New York Mets probably wish he hadn't.
After shoulder and Achilles injuries limited him to just one appearance with the New York Yankees in 2020, the Mets signed Betances last winter in hopes that the 6'8" right-hander would get healthy and rediscover the form that made him an annual All-Star between 2014 and 2017.
This didn't happen. The 32-year-old's average fastball sat about five mph below its 2017 peak of 98.5 mph, and his 15 appearances yielded 10 runs, 12 walks and 11 strikeouts in 11.2 innings.
Though $6.8 million doesn't buy a whole lot on the open market, it would probably buy a better reliever than Betances if the Mets didn't have to pay him.
New York Yankees: DH Giancarlo Stanton
19 of 30
2021 Salary: $29 million
Much like Betances, Giancarlo Stanton surprised nobody when he opted to forgo free agency this winter. The difference, of course, is that his decision came with much greater stakes.
Though the Marlins will be on the hook for $3 million per year, Stanton has seven years and $208 million remaining on his contract. That's a huge commitment for a guy who turns 31 on Sunday, not to mention a guy whose durability is seemingly shot.
Due to a variety of injuries, Stanton has played only 41 games over the last two regular seasons. Though he's been productive when healthy—especially in this year's playoffs—the Yankees frankly can't count on him being a viable regular going forward.
If they could, they would surely put his payroll obligation toward much-needed pitching.
Oakland Athletics: DH Khris Davis
20 of 30
2021 Salary: $16.8 million
The last time anyone saw Khris Davis, he was doing his best to get the Oakland Athletics through the playoffs.
He homered in the Wild Card Series against the White Sox, and then twice more in the division series against the Astros. This was vintage Davis, or the guy who cranked an MLB-high 133 homers between 2016 and 2018.
Otherwise, the last two seasons have been a struggle for the 32-year-old. He managed only a .679 OPS and 23 homers as he played hurt in 2019, and then logged only 99 plate appearances in 2020 as he was relegated to a supporting role.
All the A's can do is hope for more vintage Davis in 2021. Because for a team with their budget, $16.8 million is simply too much money to go to waste.
Philadelphia Phillies: LF Andrew McCutchen
21 of 30
2021 Salary: $20 million
Out of the six players the Philadelphia Phillies have under contract for 2021, utility man Scott Kingery had easily the worst season (minus-0.9 rWAR) in 2020.
But given that he's only 26 and earning just $4 million per year, the Phillies don't have much cause to spite Kingery. Nor do they have cause to spite Andrew McCutchen, for that matter, yet they might feel nervous about his outlook for 2021.
Though McCutchen didn't have a bad year in 2020, his .757 OPS did mark a new career low. Maybe he wasn't fully recovered from the ACL tear that ended his 2019 season. Or, maybe the 34-year-old's prime is simply over.
If so, the Phillies will be left wishing they could have spent his $20 million on badly needed bullpen arms.
Pittsburgh Pirates: RF Gregory Polanco
22 of 30
2021 Salary: $11.6 million
Left-hander Felipe Vazquez is still technically on the Pittsburgh Pirates' payroll. But for obvious reasons, we're not going there.
Gregory Polanco, meanwhile, is trending toward finishing up his five-year, $35 million contract not with a bang, but with a whimper.
The 29-year-old was an elite prospect when he began his major league career in 2014, and there were times (especially in 2016 and 2018) when he looked like a budding All-Star. But due to both injuries and ineffectiveness, he's posted only a .631 OPS and minus-1.8 rWAR in 92 games since 2019.
The Pirates might be able to trade Polanco as part of their rebuild, but probably only in a salary-dump deal.
San Diego Padres: 1B Eric Hosmer
23 of 30
2021 Salary: $21 million
Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers will each make north of $20 million in 2021, so it's a good thing for the San Diego Padres that all three put up big numbers in 2020.
Machado made himself an MVP finalist by way of a .950 OPS, 16 homers and 2.8 rWAR. Myers had a .959 OPS and 15 homers, while Hosmer came through with an .851 OPS and nine homers.
Yet questions about Hosmer's ability to maintain as a star still persist. Though he boosted his power by raising his launch angle in 2020, he's still largely a ground-ball hitter. His defense also remains suspect.
Thus the dilemma for the Padres: $21 million isn't necessarily too much for Hosmer, yet money like that could potentially be put to better use.
San Francisco Giants: SP Johnny Cueto
24 of 30
2021 Salary: $22 million
Though the San Francisco Giants might not feel great about having five 30-something stars set to earn more than $15 million in 2021, the good news is that only one will still be under contract in 2022.
But if there's one the Giants might like to be rid of now, it's probably Johnny Cueto.
He's due a $22 million salary next season, which is a lot of money for a 34-year-old who hasn't been the same since having Tommy John surgery in 2018. In 16 starts since last September, Cueto has put up a 5.33 ERA with 35 walks in 79.1 innings.
Granted, the Giants are short on pitching at the moment. But if they could choose between spending $22 million on Cueto alone or on other pitchers, they'd likely pick the latter.
Seattle Mariners: SP Yusei Kikuchi
25 of 30
2021 Salary: $16.5 million
When the Seattle Mariners inked Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year, $43 million deal in January 2019, he looked like a good candidate to build on their tradition of Japanese-born stars.
Kikuchi had, after all, been a sensation with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. He posted a 2.85 ERA in nine seasons, three of which were All-Star campaigns.
Yet the 29-year-old's experience in the majors has been a difficult one. He's made 41 starts for Seattle and been hit hard to the tune of a 5.39 ERA.
One bright side of Kikuchi's 2020 season is that he at least stopped surrendering so many home runs. Even still, he's a big weight on a Mariners roster that's otherwise devoid of bad contracts.
St. Louis Cardinals: 3B Matt Carpenter
26 of 30
2021 Salary: $18.5 million
The St. Louis Cardinals got little to nothing out of Matt Carpenter, Miles Mikolas, Dexter Fowler and Carlos Martinez in 2020. Which isn't ideal, considering that all four will make eight figures in 2021.
Yet of the bunch, we lean toward Carpenter as being potentially the biggest liability.
He's never been much of a defender, and that's especially the case now as he's getting deeper into his 30s—he'll turn 35 on November 26. And now his bat is no longer carrying him, as he hit just .186 with a .640 OPS in 2020 despite serving in a platoon capacity.
In so many words, Carpenter has become a part-timer who can't field or hit. In theory, his $18.5 million could be much better spent on other needs.
Tampa Bay Rays: OF/INF Yoshi Tsutsugo
27 of 30
2021 Salary: $7 million
The Tampa Bay Rays have only four players under guaranteed deals for 2021, and three of them—ace Blake Snell, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and second baseman Brandon Lowe—are essential pieces.
Then there's Yoshi Tsutsugo, who's not.
The 28-year-old was an accomplished slugger in Japan, where he peaked with 45 homers for the Yokohama Bay Stars in 2016. But in his first season with the Rays in 2020, he worked as a platoon hitter and yielded only eight homers with a .708 OPS in 51 games.
Perhaps Tsutsugo will adjust and take off in 2021. But by Rays standards, $7 million is a tad much to pay for such an experiment.
Texas Rangers: 2B Rougned Odor
28 of 30
2021 Salary: $12.3 million
The Texas Rangers clearly need to rebuild, so anyone and everyone should be on the table for possible trades this winter.
That includes Rougned Odor, but good luck to the Rangers on finding a taker for him.
Odor was a rising star when the Rangers signed him to a six-year extension in March 2017, but his impatience at the plate and imperfections on defense threatened to derail his trajectory. Sure enough, that's what's happened as he's posted a .279 OBP and just 1.8 rWAR over the last four years.
Assuming the Rangers do indeed want to move Odor, they could probably only do so as a throw-in with a better, more palatable player like slugger Joey Gallo or ace Lance Lynn.
Toronto Blue Jays: SP Tanner Roark
29 of 30
2021 Salary: $12 million
The Toronto Blue Jays signed two starting pitchers off the free-agent market last offseason. One of them is a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award. The other is...well, not.
Whereas Hyun Jin Ryu seized the spotlight by pitching to a 2.69 ERA in 12 starts, Tanner Roark bombed with a 6.80 ERA in 11 starts. Notably, he served up 14 homers in only 47.2 innings.
One good thing about Roark is that he's still capable of eating up five or so innings when he takes the ball. But he just hasn't been effective for much of the last four seasons, ultimately authoring a 4.65 ERA.
After returning to the playoffs despite Roark's pitching in 2020, the Jays might now be wishing they didn't have his contract complicating their plans for this offseason.
Washington Nationals: RHP Daniel Hudson
30 of 30
2021 Salary: $6 million
The Washington Nationals' payroll is dominated by aces Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, who'll combine to make nearly $94 million next season.
This could be a problem, given that Scherzer is 36 and Strasburg (hand injury) and Corbin (4.66 ERA) had issues in 2020. And yet this trio is also the best hope the Nats have of contending next season, so we're not about to suggest they'd be better off without it.
Daniel Hudson, meanwhile, looks like a bit of a reach even at $6 million after the year he had in 2020.
His heroics in the 2019 playoffs simply didn't carry over, as he served up a 6.10 ERA with six homers and 11 walks in 20.2 innings this season. Hypothetically, even his modest salary could be put to better use elsewhere.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant. Salary and payroll data courtesy of Roster Resource, via FanGraphs.
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