David Price, Jason Heyward and the 25 Most Underpaid Players in MLB
With all the dollars and little sense being thrown around in baseball these days, it's hard to fathom that a top player is playing at bargain price for a team.
Like youngsters Jason Heyward or Mike Stanton, or closers like Neftali Feliz and Andrew Bailey. Not to mention two top starting pitchers in the game.
But it does happen, and the teams that find themselves with a star player for chump change have good chances of making the playoffs, if not the World Series.
A lot of these players will eventually get paid down the road, but for now they are baseball's greatest bargains.
Here are the top 25 underpaid players in the baseball.
Note: The minimum salary for a player in Major League Baseball is $400,000.
25. Chris Johnson, 3B, Houston Astros
1 of 25
Salary: $424,000
This would be understandable last season, as third baseman Chris Johnson was just breaking into the league, but the Astros actually just re-signed Johnson for $424,000 this year.
There's no doubt this kid is going to be a star, with a .308 average, 11 homers, and 52 RBI in limited action last year.
Johnson just got owned.
24. Tommy Hanson, SP, Atlanta Braves
2 of 25
Salary: $435,000
Tommy Hanson, a young blossoming pitcher, had a 3.33 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with the Braves last season, along with 173 Ks in 34 starts.
The fact that he's still young in the league is the only reason he hasn't landed a big contract.
23. Colby Rasmus, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
3 of 25
Salary: $418,000
Young outfielder Colby Rasmus' squabbles with manager Tony La Russa were well-documented last season, but that didn't stop La Russa from showing a good amount of respect for the youngster, too.
Rasmus still strikes out too much, but with 23 long balls and 66 RBI last year, he certainly deserves more than what he's getting.
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22. Gio Gonzalez, SP, Oakland Athletics
4 of 25
Salary: $405,000
Gio Gonzalez broke out in alarming fashion last season at 25 years of age.
He became another young, cheap Athletics arm that impressed and, if they can re-sign him, should be a part of the team's future.
He was nearly unhittable at times last year.
21. Ian Kennedy, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
5 of 25
Salary: $403,000
Ian Kennedy showed the first glimpses in 2010 of why the New York Yankees selected him 21st overall in the 2006 draft.
He was electric at times and showed for the first time in his career he could be a legitimate ace, or at least a solid No. 2 starter.
With a 3.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 168 Ks in 34 starts, Kennedy could start paying off, at least for the Diamondbacks, after his first-round selection.
20. Daniel Hudson, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
6 of 25
Salary: $400,000
Daniel Hudson could have been the steal of the season in 2010 for the Diamondbacks.
Sure, it involved them trading Edwin Jackson, but what they got in return they never could have expected (heck, the White Sox certainly didn't).
In 14 stars, Hudson went 8-2 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 84 Ks in 95 innings.
He has the makings of a star.
19. Shaun Marcum, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
7 of 25
Salary: $850,000
Shaun Marcum was so good at times last season for the Toronto Blue Jays that he almost made fans forget about Roy Halladay leaving, almost.
With a 3.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 165Ks, Marcum followed up just where he left off in 2009.
Marcum is set to be a rich man, but he isn't yet.
18. Clayton Richard, SP, San Diego Padres
8 of 25
Salary: $423,000
Clayton Richard's breakout season with the Padres in 2010 was a big reason why the Padres had one of the best starting staffs in baseball.
With a 3.75 ERA and 153Ks, not to mention going 14-9, Richard helped the Padres lead the NL West for much of the season.
Of course, the San Francisco Giants went on to win the division in the final game of the season.
The rest is history.
17. Nyjer Morgan, OF, Washington Nationals
9 of 25
Salary: $426,000
Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan wasn't quite the star people thought he would become in 2010, with only a .253 average. But his speed is no joke and is a reason he's always a threat.
Morgan had 34 stolen bases last year, after having 42 the year before.
That's enough to give any pitcher-catcher combo the willies.
16. Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers
10 of 25
Salary: $418,000
A similar player to Morgan, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, like Morgan, didn't have quite the breakout people expected before the 2010 season began.
But his speed (32 SB) made up for his .265 average, and he was a part of the Rangers core that made it to the World Series.
He's also only 22 years of age.
If he starts hitting at a higher rate, watch out people.
15. Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees
11 of 25
Salary: $452,000
Brett Gardner is the type of player that can get under a pitcher and catcher's skin.
He's a nearly unstoppable base-stealer who also hit OK at .277.
He's also incredibly annoying when he gets on base and you realize you have to pitch to one of the Yankees' many home run hitters.
Gardner had 47 steals last year. He was only caught an unfathomable nine times.
14. Austin Jackson, OF, Detroit Tigers
12 of 25
Salary: $400,000
It's hard to see 24-year-old outfielder Austin Jackson not becoming a star in the league.
He is already starting to to become one.
In his first season batting in the big leagues, Jackson hit .293 in 618 at-bats and stole 27 bases, getting caught only six times.
He's also shown glimpses of becoming a great outfielder.
13. Andrew Bailey, RP, Oakland Athletics
13 of 25
Salary: $435,000
Sensing a trend here with the Oakland Athletics?
The A's are notorious for their "moneyball" techniques, getting solid players for dirt-cheap and using them until they hit free agency.
In 49 innings pitched last season, Andrew Bailey had a 1.47 ERA with 42 Ks.
As a closer, he notched 25 saves, blowing just three.
12. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
14 of 25
Salary: $422,000
Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the top young evolving stars in the game today. His combination of speed, hitting ability, fielding, and power makes him a threat always.
He hit .286 last season, with 16 homers, 94 runs (for the Pirates mind you), and 33 stolen bases.
If the Pirates don't lock up this 24-year-old, consider the organization done for good.
11. Trevor Cahill, SP, Oakland Athletics
15 of 25
Salary: $410,000
Don't know if A's pitcher Trevor Cahill can duplicate what he did last season, but if he does he's a legitimate ace in the big leagues.
Like Gio Gonzalez, Cahill basically came out of nowhere last year, posting a ridiculous 2.97 ERA and 1.11 WHIP while going 18-8 in 30 starts.
Talk about a bargain.
10. Daniel Bard, RP, Boston Red Sox
16 of 25
Salary: $415,000
Red Sox reliever Daniel Bard was one of the best relievers in the game last season, posting a 1.93 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 76 Ks in 74 innings.
Picked 28th overall in the 2006 draft by the Red Sox, Bard has become a legitimate shutdown relief pitcher.
He's only 25 years old.
9. Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
17 of 25
Salary: $2.4 million
Outfielder Jose Bautista could very well be a one-year wonder.
The Blue Bomber hit 54 home runs last year after hitting 14 the year before.
He credited his hitting coach for getting him to swing earlier on the ball.
Guess it worked.
Right now, Bautista isn't making much for being a 50-homer guy, but he should get paid handsomely this offseason.
Until then, he's vastly underpaid for what he did last year.
8. Kelly Johnson, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
18 of 25
Salary: $2.35 million
Arizona's Kelly Johnson has evolved in one year as one of the premiere second basemen in the game.
You just don't usually get power like this from a middle infielder.
Johnson had 26 home runs, 71 RBI, and 93 runs last year.
He's due for a big pay raise soon.
7. Mat Latos, SP, San Diego Padres
19 of 25
Salary: $407,000
After breaking out in 2010, Padres pitcher Mat Latos was drawing comparisons to San Francisco Giants ace Matt Cain.
And rightfully so.
He throws hard, can strike a lot of batters out, and be flat-out dominant.
With a 2.92 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 189 Ks in 184 innings in 2010, the 22-year-old right hander could be a force for years to come in the big leagues.
6. Mike Stanton, OF, Florida Marlins
20 of 25
Salary: $400,000
Florida Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton could be an absolute monster for years to come.
His power is virtually unmatched, he was one of the top prospects in baseball when he came into the league, and he's just starting to get the hang of this whole Major League Baseball thing.
In the second half of the year, Stanton came alive, and finished with 22 home runs in 359 at-bats.
5. Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves
21 of 25
Salary: $400,000
Jason Heyward was considered the No. 1 prospect coming into the 2010 season by Baseball America.
He didn't disappoint.
Heyward was not only a contributing member, he was a big reason why the Atlanta Braves made the playoffs.
He hit .277 with 18 homers, 72 RBI, and 83 runs.
He should be a star in this league for years to come.
4. Jaime Garcia, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
22 of 25
Salary: $400,000
Jaime Garcia, in just his second year in the league, had one of the great seasons in the major leagues in 2010, going 13-8 with a 2.70 ERA and 132 Ks in 163 innings pitched.
He could be a one-year wonder, but for now he's vastly underpaid for how he's producing.
3. Neftali Feliz, RP, Texas Rangers
23 of 25
Salary: $402,000
Neftali Feliz was one of the best closers in the game in 2010, saving 40 games and blowing just three.
He compiled a 2.73 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 71 Ks in 69 innings pitched.
At just 22 years of age, the Rangers have themselves a superstar.
2. David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
24 of 25
Contract: Six years, $8.5 million
The Tampa Bay Rays have themselves a Cy Young candidate until the end of the 2012 season.
At a little over $1 million a season, that's one of the great steals in baseball.
The 19-game winner recorded a 2.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 188 Ks in 208 innings last season, and he looked every bit the part of it.
Although the Rays lost outfielder Carl Crawford to the Boston Red Sox in the offseason, Price is always going to give them a shot to go deep in the playoffs.
1. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies
25 of 25
Contract: Four years, $10 million
An annual salary of $2.5 million may seem to be a lot for many of you folks out there, but it's peanuts in the world of baseball...especially when you have one of the top pitchers in the game.
After being a decent pitcher for the last few years, Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez reached elite status in 2010, winning 19 games with a 2.88 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 214 Ks in 221 innings.
The fact that the Rockies have him through 2012 at this price is stunning.
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