- Chris Davis’ seven-year deal with the Orioles is the worst MLB contract ever.
- The Angels gave terrible contracts to Anthony Rendon and Josh Hamilton.
- The Mets also have two contracts in the top 10.
Signing a player to a big contract can lengthen a team’s World Series odds.
Of course, that’s not the plan when the deal is offered to the player, but there’s always a risk a sizeable contract backfires. Sometimes, it’s due to injury, and other times, it’s simply due to underperformance.
Such misjudgements can cost a franchise long term and leave a front office lacking financial flexibility.
What Are the Worst MLB Contracts Ever?
| Rank | Player | Team | Years | Total Value |
| 1 | Chris Davis | Baltimore Orioles | 7 | $161 million |
| 2 | Josh Hamilton | Los Angeles Angels | 5 | $125 million |
| 3 | Anthony Rendon | Los Angeles Angels | 7 | $245 million |
| 4 | Jacoby Ellsbury | New York Yankees | 7 | $153 million |
| 5 | David Wright | New York Mets | 8 | $113 million |
| 6 | Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | 7 | $245 million |
| 7 | Eric Hosmer | San Diego Padres | 8 | $144 million |
| 8 | Jason Heyward | Chicago Cubs | 8 | $184 million |
| 9 | Jason Bay | New York Mets | 4 | $66 million |
| 10 | Pablo Sandoval | Boston Red Sox | 5 | $95 million |
Bad MLB Contracts
The Baltimore Orioles giving Chris Davis a seven-year contract worth $161 million tops the list of the worst MLB contracts ever.
The Los Angeles Angels have multiple entries on the list, including the free-agent deals they gave to Josh Hamilton and Anthony Rendon. Hamilton only played 240 games for the franchise, while Rendon has averaged 51 games per year across the first five seasons of his lucrative seven-year deal.
David Wright and Stephen Strasburg saw their careers derailed by injuries. Eric Hosmer and Jason Heyward proved to be massive overpays. Heyward was part of the Chicago Cubs team, which won the World Series in 2016, but he posted an 85 OPS+ and 1.9 bWAR per 162 games.
Hosmer was around a league-average hitter throughout his time with the San Diego Padres. San Diego quickly regretted the eight-year deal – he was traded to the Boston Red Sox and then released with the Padres still paying his salary.
Smaller financial commitments meant Jason Bay and Pablo Sandoval slotted in at ninth and 10th, respectively.
What Is the Single-Worst Contract in MLB History?
Chris Davis’ seven-year, $161 million contract with the Orioles is the worst contract in MLB history.
Davis signed the contract before the 2016 season. The decline was immediate, with his OPS+ dropping from 143 in 2015 to 110 in 2016.
From 2017 to his retirement in 2021, Davis played 377 games with a 66 OPS+ and posted -5.8 bWAR. His abysmal performances played a part in the Orioles falling into a deep rebuild after losing the AL wild-card game in 2016.
Davis, who twice led the majors in homers, endured one of the worst four-year stretches of any hitter in MLB history.
Baltimore was a massive outsider to make the postseason in baseball playoff odds until 2023.
What’s the Lowest MLB Contract & Minimum Salary?
The minimum MLB salary is $740,000 per year.
This figure has gradually increased over the years and will rise to $780,000 by the 2026 season.
With some exceptions, players usually receive around the minimum salary for their first three years in the majors. The average salary for all MLB players in 2024 was roughly $5 million.
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