2012 MLB Free Agency: 25 Worst Hitter Signings in Baseball History

Free agency is in full swing as teams continue to move past the 2011 season and prepare to start fresh in 2012.

A number of players have already changed teams, with many big names sure to follow. While a great deal of these moves will pay off for their teams, others won't. 

Some teams' moves will prove to be massive wastes of money, as we will see is often the case. Here are some of the worst contracts ever handed to hitters who failed to live up to expectations.

Vince Coleman: Four Years, $12 Million

Vince Coleman's first season with the St. Louis Cardinals could have signaled the beginning of a long and storied career, as he showed his speed at the top of the lineup and earned himself Rookie of the Year honors.

He earned himself a big raise prior to the 1991 season in signing with the New York Mets, but his tenure was less than stellar, as he never played more than 90 games in a season and was plagued by off-the-field issues that tarnished any legacy he could have hoped to build.

Richie Sexson: Four Years, $50 Million

After hitting 119 home runs in his final three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Seattle Mariners had to believe they were bringing on a longball threat that could tear Safeco Field apart.

His first two seasons in Seattle were strong, as he averaged 36 home runs per season with a batting average better than .265.

He saw a sharp decline the next season, as his average dropped to near .200 and his OPS was the lowest since his rookie season.

Manny Ramirez: Two Years, $45 Million

You'd have to believe that given a full 2009 season, Manny Ramirez could've proven he may have been worth the $22.5 million per year he was making, but as it stood, he was held to 19 home runs in just over 60 games after missing the first 50 games of the season due to a suspension.

The following season, Manny played only 66 games with the Dodgers before finishing off the season with the Chicago White Sox.

Aaron Rowand: Five Years, $60 Million

The San Francisco Giants may have brought in a .290 hitter when they signed Aaron Rowand before the 2008 season, but that doesn't mean that's what they got.

Rowand batted .271 and .261 in his first two seasons with the Giants, but he has since lost his starting job and failed to bat better than .230 in each of the past two seasons.

Danny Tartabull: Five Years, $27 Million

Knowing that the New York Yankees aren't exactly afraid to spend money, it shouldn't have been any surprise that they made Danny Tartabull the highest-paid player in the AL before the 1992 season.

All in all, he failed to live up to the billing, batting .252 in the three and a half seasons he played in the Bronx before being sent to Oakland.

Juan Pierre: Five Years, $44 Million

Juan Pierre has always provided a spark at the leadoff spot for teams he's played for and has reached base at a decent clip.

He hasn't ever shown any real power, however, and without much of an arm in the field, it's hard to justify such a contract for a speedy singles hitter.

Joe Mauer: Eight Years, $184 Million

Joe Mauer certainly picked a good time to have a career season, as his 28-home run effort in 2009 when he would bat .365 earned him an astounding eight-year, $184 million contract.

Since then, he has failed to stay healthy and has only hit 12 home runs in the past two seasons, while batting a career-low .287 this season.

With the Twins toying with the notion of moving him from the catcher's position, it's growing more likely that Mauer won't be able to live up to his paychecks.

Ken Caminiti: Two Years, $9.5 Million

The Texas Rangers signed Ken Caminiti to a two-year, $9.5 million contract prior to the 2001 season in hopes that he could return to his slugging ways and complement Alex Rodriguez in doing so.

Caminiti would only play 54 games with the Rangers, hitting nine home runs while batting lower than .235.

Mo Vaughn: Six Years, $80 Million

After coming over from Boston, Mo Vaughn gave some early returns to the Angels, hitting 69 home runs and driving in 225 runs during his first two seasons on the West Coast.

He wouldn't play another game with the Angels after 2000, however, as they would eventually deal Vaughn to the Mets after he gained extreme amounts of weight after sitting out 2001 due to injuries.

Alfonso Soriano: Eight Years, $136 Million

More than considering Alfonso Soriano's signing a bad move because of his numbers, it has to be considered a bad move because of how badly the team would love to move him but simply can't.

Soriano's first two seasons in Chicago were his best, as he batted nearly .285 and averaged 31 home runs per season.

Bobby Bonilla: Five Years, $25 Million

The New York Mets thought they were making a brilliant move in making Bobby Bonilla the highest paid player in baseball in 1992.

They didn't get the superstar they thought, as Bonilla's stats didn't match up and he failed to play well enough to earn MVP consideration as he had done in his last four seasons in Pittsburgh.

To make matters worse, the Mets are still paying deferred funds from his contract in excess of $29 million.

Albert Belle: Five Years, $65 Million

Albert Belle's success in Cleveland gave the Chicago White Sox plenty of reason to sign him to a $55 million contract, which would prove to keep him as one of the highest paid players in baseball.

He played two seasons in Chicago but would become a free agent after the White Sox opted not to pay him a raise his contract provided.

He signed with Baltimore and had two subpar seasons by his standards before retiring.

Gary Matthews Jr: Five Years, $65 Million

After a very impressive 2005 season with the Texas Rangers in which he batted .313 and drove in 79 runs with 19 home runs, the Angels took a chance on Gary Matthews Jr. signing him to a contract worth $13 million per year.

His years in Los Angeles were less than productive however as he batted .248 in three seasons averaging only 10 home runs and barely 55 RBI per season.

Torii Hunter: Five Years, $90 Million

Torii Hunter has definitely enjoyed some success during his four seasons with the Angels. He's batted .279 during his tenure and has averaged 22 home runs per season.

While his numbers might not be anything to scoff at, they don't exactly warrant $18 million per season.

Andruw Jones: Two Years, $36.2 Million

Despite a brutal final season with the Atlanta Braves, the team he enjoyed so much success with, the Los Angeles Dodgers still felt compelled to sign Andruw Jones to a two-year contract worth more than $18 million per season.

Jones would only play 75 games with the Dodgers, batting .158 with an OPS more than 200 points lower than any other point in his career.

Jeffrey Hammonds: Three Years, $21 Million

The Milwaukee Brewers thought they were adding a solid offensive player when signing Jeffrey Hammonds to a three-year, $21 million contract before the 2001 season.

Hammonds was coming off a season with the Rockies in which he batted .335 and drove in over 100 runs while posting an OPS over .900.

Things didn't go as planned for the Brewers, as Hammonds would only play in 49 games in 2001 due to injury and would never reach the potential he showed in Colorado.

Julio Lugo: Four Years, $36 Million

While the contract wasn't nearly the same as Carl Crawford's, the Boston Red Sox did dip into the same Tampa Bay talent pool when signing Julio Lugo.

He batted only .237 in 2007 and would eventually lose his starting job before being sent to St. Louis.

Milton Bradley: Three Years, $30 Million

The Chicago Cubs were clearly aware of the risk in signing a player like Milton Bradley, but despite the risk he was coming off a solid 2009 campaign with the Rangers, when he led the league with a .436 on-base percentage.

He didn't last long in Chicago, as his temper and erratic behavior proved to be too much for the team, as they'd send him to Seattle in exchange for Carlos Silva.

Carlos Lee: Six Years, $100 Million

Carlos Lee's first season with the Astros was his best, as he would bat .303 en route to a 119 RBI effort in which he went deep 32 times.

He batted only .246 in 2010 and despite a better 2011 season, he has failed to make a significant impact for the Astros.

It's not fair to blame Lee's productivity for the Astros' failure to take the next step, but when you're making nearly $20 million per season, there's a certain level of pressure to produce.

Aramis Ramirez: Five Years, $75 Million

The Chicago Cubs have to be happy to rid themselves of Aramis Ramirez's five-year, $75 million contract.

While there were a couple of good seasons with the Cubs, he missed half of 2009 and failed to produce in 2010.

Scott Spiezio: Three Years, $9 Million

After four average seasons with the Los Angeles Angels in which he batted .268 while averaging 13 home runs per season, Scott Spiezio was given a three year, $9 million contract with the Seattle Mariners.

He batted only .215 in his first season with the Mariners and managed only a .064 average in short use the following season before Seattle would cut ties with the struggling infielder.

Ken Griffey Jr: Nine Years, $117 Million

It's hard to live up to your expectations for the duration of a long-term contract, especially one valued at over $100 million.

Griffey Jr. did have some solid seasons while in Cincinnati, but he batted below .270 in six of the seasons and had a stretch of three consecutive seasons where he played a total of 206 games.

Kenji Johjima: Three Years, $24 Million

The three-year, $24 million contract the Seattle Mariners gave to catcher Kenji Johjima would have made more sense had he not been slumping at the time. As it stood, he was a .200 hitter who was given a big payday from ownership.

He did have some productive years prior to the extension but didn't produce even a fraction of the value he did one he signed it.

Juan Gonzalez: Two Years, $24 Million

After a 35-home run effort in an All-Star season in 2001 with the Cleveland Indians, the Texas Rangers signed Juan Gonzalez to a two-year, $24 million contract to bolster their offense.

He played in 152 games combined in two seasons and hit only eight home runs in 2002.

Vernon Wells: Seven Years, $126 Million

Vernon Wells' first few seasons in Toronto yielded magnificent results for the Blue Jays, as he would become a consistent power hitter who showed promise in the outfield.

He had a brutal season in 2007 with an average nearly 40 points below his standard, and his power numbers were down.

The Blue Jays did, however, still opt to give him a seven-year, $126 million contract. Perhaps even more surprising, the Blue Jays got the Angels to take on the contract last offseason, a move the Angels have to be regretting as Wells batted only .218 this season in Los Angeles.