5 MLB Players Who Should Return Their 2011 Salaries

Every player on this list is considered a superstar by most people's standards, but too many times this season they have come up with feathers instead of chicken.

In other words, these players could be charged with grand larceny for stealing from their respective teams and should return their 2011 paychecks.

Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox

Has there been a bigger disappointment this year than Dunn?

Actually, the word disappointment doesn’t even do justice how bad he’s been this year. His home run totals since 2004 are: 46, 40, 40, 40, 40, 38, and 38. He has only hit 11 in 2011… 11!

One of the most consistent power hitters of the past decade has fewer homers than Alex Gonzalez. And that is his one elite skill. It’s not like he makes up for it in average (.163) or defensively (the whole DH thing).

He gets paid to do one thing, and one thing only; hit the ball out of the ballpark. If you are a White Sox fan, you have to be wondering if you could have made the playoffs if “The Big Donkey” had just had an average year.

Instead, you are already counting down the days until Chicago is free from that 4-year, $56 million contract. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but Dunn still has three years remaining and he’s not getting any younger or more athletic. 

Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

As much as Adam Dunn gets paid to hit home runs, Ichiro gets paid more to hit singles.

The Japanese right field is currently 53 points off his career batting average and while advanced metrics suggest he has been unlucky, at $18 million a year you aren’t allowed to be unlucky.

Unless he goes an otherworldly tear in the last month of the season (entirely possible), 2011 will be the first year in his MLB career in which Ichiro finishes with less than 200 hits.

At least he provides Gold Glove defense for the Seattle Mariners, but a quality outfield glove can be found for far less than five years/$90 million and all his incredible throws and catches doesn’t make up for his .274 average and limited run production.

Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Lost in all the Derek Jeter 3,000 hits hoopla this season has been the fact that Alex Rodriguez entered into the witness protection program three months ago.

Okay, that’s not really true but he has missed 51 games this year and will most likely finish 2011 with less than 30 HRs and 100 RBIs for the first time since 1997.

To pour salt in the wound (for the Yankees anyway) he is making $31 million this season and still has six years and $143 million left on his record-setting contract, and that’s not even including all the “marketing bonuses” he will get for home run milestones.

At least he is a model citizen off the field… steroids and illegal gambling aside.

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

I can’t really be the only one that saw this coming, can I?

No team, under any circumstances, should give eight years and $184 million to a 6’5 catcher; I don’t care who it is.

Mauer is getting paid like a 3-hole, run-producing slugger and has one home run this year and only 28 RBIs. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s $820,000 for every RBI or $23 million for every home run.

Plus, they have started to play him more at first base, which greatly reduces his defensive value.

Look, Mauer is still only 28 years old and I’m fairly confident he will turn things around in 2012, but as far as 2011 goes, he should refund the Twins for his pathetic performance and apologize to the residents of Minnesota.

Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox

This one hurts the most because he is one of my favorite players to watch in baseball, but .251 with only 17 steals and 53 runs scored cannot be ignored.

I think we all knew that $142 million over seven years was about $35 million too high for Crawford, but I don’t think anyone could have anticipated such an abysmal start; especially with all the pressure taken off him being in such a potent line-up.

Normally, you would turn to the Gold Glove defense he plays in left field, but playing half his games in Fenway Park has nullified his abilities.

Red Sox Nation has been far more supportive of him than I ever would have guessed (winning will do that), but if the next 7 years are like this one, Boston will quickly grow tired of Carl Crawford.