MLB Free Agents 2012: 10 Players Who Will Kill Their New Teams Next Year

As the 2012 MLB free-agency period heats up, teams will inevitably be scrambling to find talent and will overpay for certain players.

Some free agents will be worth the price, but several will hinder their new team's respective success due to their high price or underachievement. Whether it's injuries, inconsistency or slow decline, many mid-career signings are not worth it.

Here is a look at 10 players who will hurt their new teams come springtime.

Aramis Ramirez

Aramis Ramirez may not kill his new ball club from a lineup standpoint, but he will kill them when you consider how much they will overpay him and how one-dimensional he is as a player.

Right now he may seem like a fantastic pickup for a team looking for a slugger in their lineup, but let's be forward-looking and realistic: his next few seasons won't be as good as his past few, as he is 33 years old. Also, his shoddy defense and subpar base running will only continue to deteriorate.

Kosuke Fukudome

The team that depends on Kosuke Fukudome to be an impact player for them will be sorely disappointed. At best, he's a role player, and ultimately, he's a weak link in any lineup.

Fukudome is a good defender, but that doesn't quite compensate for his offensive shortcomings. He's been primarily a leadoff hitter throughout his career, and his statistics don't justify teams relying on him to lead off.

He batted .262 with a .342 on-base percentage, and stole just four bases. Most managers wouldn't want numbers like that jump-starting their lineup.

Brad Penny

In his prime, Brad Penny was throwing heat, pitching in All-Star games and pitching deep into ballgames. Suitors of this free agent arm shouldn't hope for anything resembling the 2005 Penny.

Penny is considerably worse against right-handed hitters (.345 average against) than he is against left handed hitters (.264 average against). He doesn't seem to have the stamina he used to, as his numbers after the All-Star break have dwindled recently.

General managers should steer clear of this aging arm.

Magglio Ordonez

Magglio Ordonez saw his production slip drastically from 2010 to 2011. He could bounce back, but at 37 his best days are clearly behind him, and he won't be a worthwhile investment for the team that signs him.

His offense is diminishing, and his defense and speed are already below average.

In 2011 Ordonez played in 92 games and batted .255 with 32 RBI. The most alarming stat might be his woeful .331 slugging percentage. In 2011 he made $10 million; that number should be cut in half for 2012, and even then it will be tough for him to earn it.

Bartolo Colon

The New York Yankees were the beneficiaries of a rebound year for Bartolo Colon, and they got more out of him than they ever expected. The 38-year-old right-hander posted solid numbers and made at least a few teams think about signing him to a short-term deal.

Unfortunately, Colon is injury-prone, out of shape and pushing 40. Last year, his ERA progressively increased as the season went on, and his innings and strikeout production decreased.

Buyer beware: Colon will disappoint you if you want him to be your third starter and get you 12 wins.

Alex Gonzalez

Alex Gonzalez has consistently been an inconsistent player throughout his career. One year he drives in 50, the next year he drives in 80. One year his on-base percentage is an acceptable .320, then suddenly it's .260.

Suitors shouldn't expect much from Gonzalez from a prime position in the batting order. During his time with Atlanta, the lower he was in the batting order, the better he did.

Other factors that should make GMs cautious about Gonzalez are his unimpressive on-base percentage and his below-average athleticism.

Dontrelle Willis

It is more than likely that Dontrelle Willis will adversely affect the fortunes of the team he signs with.

At 29 years old, there's still reason to believe he has time to turn his career around. But his track record is unsightly: he hasn't had an ERA below 0.50 since 2006, and he hasn't had an injury-free season since 2007.

He has become increasingly inefficient against right-handed hitters, and can't seem to take advantage when he gets ahead in the count. Teams that want him to be their fourth or even fifth starter would be taking a big risk.

Cesar Izturis

Similar to Kosuke Fukudome, Cesar Izturis is a classic case of a great defender who is weak at the plate. He is an extremely proficient fielder with good range and speed, but his lack of production at the plate will hurt whichever team he chooses.

His skill set would be tolerable if he was the type of player who could get on base a lot and use his speed to score runs. But even though Izturis is a contact hitter, his batting average and run production leaves much to be desired.

Rich Harden

Although he's only 29, Rich Harden has aged quite a bit in his career. When he was in top form, he was mixing his fastball with a slider, changeup and his unique "spluckle" to confound hitters and excel as a solid no. 3 starter.

The last couple seasons, he has been an injury-plagued pitcher with a swollen WHIP and decreased control. He will continue to put base runners on and put his new team in a tight spot when he takes the mound.

Lyle Overbay

Lyle Overbay made $5 million last season, and if his 2012 salary is similar or more, he will be hurting his team financially. His on-field value is nowhere near $5 million.

His offensive output in recent years has been mediocre for power and deficient for average. 2011 was a prime example, as he batted .234 and drove in 47 runs in 121 games for the Pirates and Diamondbacks. Wise GMs will look elsewhere for a first baseman or designated hitter.