| Authored by Rich Cea - 9th January, 2009 - 8:07 pm
 Last week we took a look at the best off-season moves of 2007-2008. This week let's take a look at the worst moves teams made last year.
5. New York Mets - Re-signed second baseman Luis Castillo to a four-year contract worth $25 million
Castillo had a miserable year (.245 AVG, 3 HR, 46 R, 17 SB) and looks like his skills have diminished dramatically. The Mets are saddled with 3 more years of Castillo at second base, and this contract may be preventing them from making some moves this off-season.
4. Kansas City Royals - Agreed to terms with outfielder Jose Guillen on a three-year contract worth $36 million
The Royals don't have the luxury of being able to absorb bad contracts like some other big market teams. When the Royals sign a player to a multi-year contract like the one they gave Jose Guillen, they need a lot of production. Guillen's numbers (.264 AVG, 20 HR, 97 RBI) are not bad at first glance, but his .300 OBP is pretty poor. Although Guillen denied it, there were many rumors that he wanted out of Kansas City last season. The Royals probably could've found a better way to spend 20% of their payroll.
3. New York Yankees - Not trading Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Melky Cabrera and a prospect for Johan Santana
The Yankees missed the playoffs in large part due to the poor starting pitching they received all year. In the off-season the Yankees passed on trading for Johan Santana for a package of young players that they thought could produce enough for them to make a World Series run in 2008. Hughes and Kennedy combined for 73.2 IP, 7.45 ERA, 0 wins, and 8 losses. Melky Cabrera also regressed dramatically (.246 AVG, 8 HR, 47 RBI) and eventually lost his centerfield position to Brett Gardner. At the same time, the Yankees' cross-town rivals added Santana to be the ace of their staff. The Yankees have learned from this and paid up for front line pitching by signing CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett this off-season.
2. Seattle Mariners - Signed pitcher Carlos Silva to a four-year contract worth $48 million
It seems like everything that the Mariners did last off-season was wrong. They brought in Carlos Silva to solidify their starting pitching, and he was terrible. Silva's season (145.1 IP, 4-15 W-L, 6.46 ERA, 69 K) was the worst of his career in almost every category. At 29 he has a chance to make this contract look more reasonable, but all signs point to him being dramatically overpaid.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers - Signed outfielder Andruw Jones to a two-year contract worth $36 million
At the time this deal was lauded as a potential steal by the Dodgers. Jones was coming off a poor 2007, but it seemed like he could certainly rebound in 2008. However, Jones (.158 AVG, 3 HR, 14 RBI) was probably the most disappointing player in the major leagues last year. The Dodgers could not have gotten any less for the $18 million they paid him.
(Dis)Honorable Mentions:
- New York Yankees - Re-signed catcher Jorge Posada to a four-year contract worth $52.4 million
Signing an aging catcher to a multi-year deal is a dangerous proposition. Posada was coming off a great year in 2007 (.338 AVG, 20 HR, 90 RBI) but followed that up with an injury riddled season when he only managed 168 at-bats. Posada has three more years to make this deal worthwhile for the Yankees, but at 37, I'm sure the Yankees are worried.
- Boston Red Sox - Re-signed pitcher Curt Schilling to a one-year contract worth $8 million
At the time, the Red Sox knew that they were only going to get the second half of the regular season from Curt Schilling, at best. The key to this signing was that they expected that he would certainly be able to pitch in the playoffs where he has been masterful and critical to their World Series runs. However, Schilling was unable to pitch in both the regular season and playoffs, and the Red Sox essentially wasted their money.
- Detroit Tigers - Acquired pitcher Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins for outfielder Cameron Maybin, catcher Mike Rabelo and pitchers Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz and Dallas Trahern
This move wasn't so much bad as it was disappointing. Dontrelle Willis only had a 9.38 ERA in just 24 innings at the major league level. Miguel Cabrera (.292 AVG, 37 HR, 127 RBI) had a great year, but many thought that this trade could put the Tigers over the top, and they finished in last place in the AL Central.
To read more by Rich Cea, visit his blog called SubwaySports |
