2012 MLB Free Agents: Ranking 25 Most Awful Hitter Signings in MLB History

In the history of MLB, what are the 25 worst contracts that hitters were signed to?

In today's age, there are an abundance of long-term contracts given out to hitters who might be undeserving. While it is true that some of them work out, there are always the teams that are left with the financial burden of paying off that useless contract many years down the road.

While pitchers are generally more susceptible to underperforming during a contract—since the health of a pitcher's arm is the most unpredictable aspect of baseball—there have been some hitters signed to contracts that make you scratch your head.

So here's a list of the 25 worst contracts signed by hitters in the history of MLB.

No. 25: Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2009

Contract: Two Years, $45 million

Stats During Contract: .300/.412/.520, 27 HR, 103 RBI, 94 R

The Manny Ramirez deal was cursed from the start.

He was widely considered to be one of the best sluggers to ever play the game, but his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers was filled with disappointment.

He was banned for 50-games in 2009 due to testing positive to performance enhancing drugs and was later placed on waivers in 2010 after missing a number of games.

No. 24: Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals, 2010

Contract: Seven Years, $126 million

Stats During Contract: .232/.330/.389, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 69 R

The jury is still out on whether or not Jayson Werth will be worth the $126 million he was offered from the Washington Nationals, so that's why he is so low on this list.

However, Werth's numbers were likely inflated due to hitting in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

If Werth continues to have statistical seasons like he did in 2011, expect to see Werth's contract up there with the worst when it's all said and done.

No. 23: Juan Pierre, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2007

Contract: Five years, $44 million

Stats During Contract: .286/.337/.340, 4 HR, 197 RBI, 373 R

Juan Pierre has always been one of the more serviceable leadoff hitters in baseball, but the pricey contract he received from the Dodgers left everyone scratching their heads.

He could always hit singles and steal bags with the best of them, but that is about all Pierre has in his bag of tricks. He is unable to draw walks in order to get on base, which is something that all leadoff hitters need to be somewhat adequate at doing.

He also has one of the worst arms in all of baseball, which truly makes him a one-dimensional player.

To his credit, he did fill in admirably for the Dodgers when Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games, but that alone wasn't enough to keep him around.

He was shipped off to the Chicago White Sox for a pitching prospect named Jon Ely.

No. 22: Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers, 2001

Contract: 10 Years, $252 million

Stats During Contract: .304/.400/.591, 329 HR, 908 RBI, 874 R

While Alex Rodriguez has put up fantastic numbers ever since he signed the record-breaking contract in 2001, no one is worth over $250 million.

I would be willing to listen to someone defending Albert Pujols receiving that type of contract, but he's the only player from the past two decades that would even be remotely worth that sizable of a contract.

No. 21: Kenji Johjima, Seattle Mariners, 2008

Contract: Three Years, $24 million

Stats During Contract: .237/.286/.364, 16 HR, 61 RBI, 53 R

The three-year extension Kenji Johjima received in the middle of the 2008 season didn't make much sense at all.

The 31-year-old catcher was batting a measly .200 at the time and finished with a .227 batting average at the end of the season.

Not only could Johjima not hit his way out of a paper bag, but his pitching staff didn't like pitching to him either.

No. 20: Vince Coleman, New York Mets, 1991

Contract: Four Years, $12 Million

Stats During Contract: .260/.320/.351, 7 HR, 96 RBI, 207 R

Vince Coleman started his career off with a bang in St. Louis after winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1985 and stealing over 100 bases for the first three seasons of his career.

Then when he hit free agency in 1991, he jumped at the opportunity to sign a contract with the New York Mets that vastly increased his previous salary.

Not only did his production decline on the field—he batted only .260 and stole a substantially fewer number of bases—in his three-year tenure with the Mets, but some off the field issues also arose.

No. 19: Milton Bradley, Chicago Cubs, 2009

Contract: Three years, $30 million

Stats During Contract: .234/.342/.375, 22 HR, 82 RBI, 101 R

Milton Bradley always had the physical tools to become a perennial All-Star, but his short fuse held him back throughout his troubled career.

After a season with the Texas Rangers where he lived up to his potential, the Chicago Cubs took a gamble on the notorious Bradley and signed him to a contract that many teams tried to avoid.

The Cubs plan backfired, and Bradley never recovered from his early season slump.

Amongst numerous ejections and off-field issues, Bradley was traded in the offseason to the Seattle Mariners for Carlos Silva.

No. 18: Julio Lugo, Boston Red Sox, 2007

Contract: Four Years, $36 million

Stats During Contract: .254/.319/.344, 12 HR, 136 RBI, 164 R

Julio Lugo showed promise of becoming a legitimate middle infielder during his time in Tampa Bay, and then was rewarded with a $36 million contract from the Boston Red Sox during the 2007 free-agency period.

In his first season with the club, he batted just .237 in over 600 at-bats and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals the following season.

He's been on two separate teams since—the Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves—and still has yet to live up to the hype.

No. 17: Pat Burrell, Tampa Bay Rays, 2009

Contract: Two Years, $16 million

Stats During Contract: .218/.311/.361, 34 HR, 128 RBI, 95 R

Pat Burrell, the former first-overall pick, had a long and luxurious career with the Philadelphia Phillies.

He had eight 20-plus home run seasons and won a World Series ring with them in his final season with the team.

However, after opting to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays primarily as a designated hitter, he saw his numbers drastically drop after the switch from the National League to the American League.

He was released from the Rays midseason in 2010, but found a temporary home back in San Francisco where he helped lead the Giants to a World Series Championship.

No. 16: Danny Tartabull, New York Yankees, 1992

Contract: Five Years, $27 million

Stats During Contract: 253/.363/.472, 110 HR, 390 RBI, 319 R

When Danny Tartabull hit the free-agent market in 1992, he established himself as one of the American League's better power hitters.

The New York Yankees, after a lackluster offseason up to that point and decided to give Tartabull a $27 million contract, which made him the highest-paid player in the American League.

In 1993, he did smash 31 home runs and drove in 102 runs, but his .250 batting average and 156 strikeouts didn't live up to the Yankees' standards.

He was later traded to the Oakland Athletics halfway through the 1995 season.

No. 15: Aaron Rowand, San Francisco Giants, 2008

Contract: Five Years, $60 million

Stats During Contract: .253/.310/.393, 43 HR, 189 RBI, 194 R

Aaron Rowand turned out to be one of those players whose numbers saw a sizable increase due to hitting in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

To his credit, he was a hustler, a player who never gave up on a play. This was made evident after his heroic catch in center field before smashing his face into the fence and breaking his nose.

He is a "gamer" which is exactly what the San Francisco Giants manager liked to see in a player.

However, his offensive numbers never translated to the pitcher friendly confines of AT&T Park in San Francisco.

After four mediocre seasons with the Giants, he was released outright toward the end of the 2011 season.

No. 14: Juan Gonzalez, Texas Rangers, 2002

Contract: Two Years, $24 million

Stats During Contract: .288/.327/.517, 32 HR, 105 RBI, 87 R

After a brilliant season in 2001 with the Cleveland Indians where he hit .325 with 35 home runs and 140 RBI, Juan Gonzalez decided to return to the team he spent his first 11 seasons with, the Texas Rangers.

However, at only age 32, Gonzalez and his unique batting stance battled injuries throughout the two years of his deal, and he only saw a total of 152 games altogether.

Gonzalez was unable to return to his old form and found himself out of baseball only two years later.

N0. 13: Greg Vaughn, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 2000

Contract: Four Years, $34 million

Stats During Contract: .226/.335/.434, 60 HR, 185 RBI, 185 R

Greg Vaughn was the Devil Rays' big fish they caught during the 2000 free-agency period.

He hit 95 home runs in the two previous seasons and emerged as one of the American League's premier power hitters.

However, Vaughn's production saw a sharp decline in Tampa Bay as his batting average dwindled around .240.

Due to injuries and not being able to live up to the hype, the Devil Rays cut Vaughn before the final year of his contract.

No. 12: Jason Bay, New York Mets, 2010

Contract: Four Years, $66 million

Stats During Contract: .252/.338/.375, 18 HR, 104 RBI, 107 R

When Jason Bay started his career off in Pittsburgh, he was considered to be one of the game's young, bright superstars.

From 2004-2008, he had five straight seasons with at least 20 home runs. Then when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2009, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 119.

The New York Mets thought that Bay, at only 31 years old, would still be able to produce at a high level offensively, but were they ever wrong.

Bay is only two years into his contract, but he has a lot of ground to make up if he has any hope of redeeming himself.

No. 11: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs, 2007

Contract: Eight Years, $136 million

Stats During Contract: .266/.320/.498, 132 HR, 367 RBI, 354 R

Alfonso Soriano is one of those rare breeds whose combination of power and speed is unsurpassed by few. 

Ever since he signed that eight-year deal, his numbers haven't been awful, but the pricey contract certainly warrants more productivity from Soriano.

He made the All-Star team his first two seasons with the Cubs, but he is now half the player he used to be.

Due to his poor work ethic in the outfield and less-than impressive offensive numbers outside of the home runs, few would argue that Soriano's contract was worth the money.

No. 10: Jeffrey Hammonds, Milwaukee Brewers, 2001

Contract: Three Years, $21 million

Stats During Contract: .249/.325/.415, 19 HR, 75 RBI, 89 R

After being selected with the fourth-overall pick in the 1994 draft, Hammonds continually failed to live up to the high expectations of being a top-five pick.

However, in 2000 with the Colorado Rockies, Hammonds broke out and batted .325 with 20 home runs and 106 RBI, 51 more than his previous career high.

This was enough to make the Milwaukee Brewers take the bait and sign him to a $21 million contract over three years.

It turned out to be one of the worst free-agent signings ever in the history of the Brewers.

No. 9: Richie Sexson, Seattle Mariners, 2005

Contract: Four years, $50 million

Stats During Contract: .244/.335/.472, 106 HR, 327 RBI, 261 R

Rickie Sexson was one of the premier sluggers in all of baseball during his prime.

He smashed 45 home runs in both 2001 and 2003 for the Milwaukee Brewers, and even hit 40 for the Seattle Mariners during the second year of his contract.

But then Sexson began to see his numbers plummet like a plane free-falling from the sky. 

He hit just .205 for Seattle after being only one year removed from his 40-homer season in 2006. Just one year later after a short stint with the New York Yankees, Sexson was out of baseball.

No. 8: Derek Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2001

Contract: Two Years, $9.5 million

Stats During Contract: .173/.287/.288, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 14 R

Derek Bell was a proficient hitter throughout the majority of his major league career, but he hit free agency at the wrong time.

At only 31 years old, he was already on the downside of his career, and the Houston Astros knew this and decided to let him walk.

The Pittsburgh Pirates decided to roll the dice and sign him to a short two-year deal.

Injuries cut his disappointing season short in 2001, and things didn't get any better for Bell and the Pirates after that.

After being informed that he would no longer be guaranteed a starting spot on the team, it was enough for him to stop playing, and eventually the Pirates were forced to cut him before the start of the 2002 season.

No. 7: Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays, 2008

Contract: Seven Years, $126 million

Stats During Contract: .262/.309/.454, 91 HR, 298 RBI, 286 R

People are still trying to figure out why the Toronto Blue Jays signed Vernon Wells to that ridiculous contract extension in 2008.

Wells' breakout season was in 2003 when he hit .317 and smashed 33 home runs. He wasn't able to duplicate that season until 2006, and that was the last time Wells had a season that even came close to warranting a $126 million contract.

One year prior to his extension, Wells hit just .245, but that didn't prevent the Blue Jays from extending his contract.

Wells tried his best to earn his pricey contract in 2010 after hitting 31 home runs, but it wasn't enough to keep him around.

The Angels were willing to take on the contract, and he was traded to Los Angeles for practically nothing, and still no one really knows why the Angels did that.

No. 6: Albert Belle, Orioles, 1999

Contract: Five Years, $65 million

Stats During Contract: .289/.374/.509, 60 HR, 220 RBI, 179 R

Albert Belle was one of the American League's premier sluggers while playing on the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians.

When he hit free agency, Peter Angelos, the Baltimore Orioles owner who has a a knack for overpaying for unworthy players, didn't hesitate in giving Belle the biggest contract in baseball at the time.

Unfortunately for the Orioles, Belle's numbers saw a steady decline, and a hip injury forced him out of baseball while only completing two years out of his five-year contract.

No. 5: Todd Hundley, Chicago Cubs, 2001

Contract: Four Years, $24 million

Stats During Contract: .198/.289/.398, 30 HR, 77 RBI, 57 R

The Chicago Cubs' signing of Todd Hundley was not that bad of an idea at the time.

He was a serviceable catcher who could hit for power—41 home runs in 1996—so the Cubs could sleep with paying him $6 million a year.

As it turns out, the signing came back and haunted the Cubs since Hundley went on to have one of the worst statistical seasons ever.

He batted .187 and struck out 89 times in just 79 games.

The Cubs were able to cut their losses and traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers—the team Hundley played for before the Cubs—in 2003. He finished his career shortly thereafter.

No. 4: Andruw Jones, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2008

Contract: Two Years, $36 million

Stats During Contract: .158/.256/.249, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 21 R

Andruw Jones was one of the better all-around center fielders in baseball during his heyday with the Atlanta Braves. 

However, in 2007, he hit only .222 in his final season with the only club he played for in his 12-year career.

For some reason, the Los Angeles Dodgers thought he had something left in the tank and signed him to a contract that was more-than-likely the best offer he had on the table money wise.

In his first season with the Dodgers, he hit a lowly .158 with only three home runs.

Needless to say, the Dodgers released Jones after the 2008 season.

No. 3: Gary Matthews Jr., Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 2007

Contract: Five Years, $50 million

Stats During Contract: 245/.322/.377, 30 HR, 169 RBI, 185 R

Outside of his career year with the Texas Rangers in 2006 where he hit .313 and made the catch of the year, he was nothing more than just a fourth outfielder who filled in when needed.

However, that didn't stop the Angels from offering him a contract that he likely signed in pen before the Angels had time to think it over again.

After signing the contract and playing for the Angels for roughly 2.5 seasons, he returned to his original role as the fourth outfielder.

No. 2: Mo Vaughn, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 1999

Contract: Six Years, $80 million

Stats During Contract: .267/.356/.481, 98 HR, 312 RBI, 233 R

When analyzing the signing in 1999, it certainly didn't look like a bad contract offer at all in the eyes of the Angels.

Vaughn was coming off of a 40-homer, .337 batting average season, but those numbers could've certainly been inflated due to hitting in Fenway Park in 1998.

Vaughn had two decent years with the Angels from 1999 in 2000, but then blew out his knee in 2001, which basically ended his career.

He was traded to the Mets in 2002, but it was a short-lived trip resulting in minimal success. 

No. 1: Bobby Bonilla, New York Mets, 1992

Contract: Five Years, $25 million

Stats During Contract: .286/.365/.508, 129 HR, 439 RBI, 406 R

One may consider Bobby Bonilla one of the luckiest men in the world.

In order to avoid paying Bonilla nearly $6 million in 2001, the New York Mets decided to defer the money, with interest, until 2011.

So from now until 2035, the Mets will be paying Bonilla around $1.2 million every year, which will amount to around $30 million when it's all said and done.

So yes, Bonilla gets paid over $1 million a year for doing absolutely nothing. Not a bad deal at all.