Long-term contracts are an essential part of Major League Baseball. The landscape of the game and players' careers dictate larger contracts than other major sports. If a team can find a cornerstone piece for the future of their franchise, through drafting, trading or free agency, a team will make a substantial offer. These offers prove to players that they are the ones to help bring home a championship.
Some contracts, however, don't pan out for the investing team. The signing team is left to their own devices to either find a solution or face the harsh reality of eating the contract.
The Philadelphia Phillies have taken part in bad signings like most other teams in MLB. The triumph and agony of the next star on the roster has had its way with the NL East in recent years. Let's take a look at the worst active signings to come out of the division.
5. Francisco Lindor, NYM: 10 years, $341 million
Francisco Lindor signed a 10-year, $341 million extension at the beginning of the 2021 season, and poses an interesting problem for the New York Mets. Ownership believed at the time they were bringing in a huge offensive upgrade who would be an MVP-caliber player each and every year.
Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out that way, kind of. Lindor was the face of Cleveland through their 2016 World Series run. Lindor was dealt to Queens in early 2021 where he has been the guy of "too little too late." In four years, Lindor's hitting .258/.335/.459, good for a .795 OPS. Not what $34.1 million a season should fetch you.
In his time in the Big Apple, Lindor has two ninth-place NL MVP finishes in 2022 and 2023 with the latter year also earning a Silver Slugger Award. He also averaged 5.8 fWAR with his shortstop play being amongst the best in the sport. He has notably failed to accumulate an All-Star selection while being the 11th highest-paid player in the sport.
With six more seasons of Lindor's massive contract to go, the current Mets now face the problem of being known as the era that spent everything to win nothing.
4. Brandon Nimmo, NYM: 8 years, $162 million
Brandon Nimmo signed an eight-year, $162 million deal in the winter of 2022. Since the beginning of the Steve Cohen regime, the Mets have made some questionable signings. Nimmo adds to the list of questionable returns on investment. Nimmo, for his career, is .263/.374/.440 for a .814 OPS.
Nimmo has been an alright everyday player for the Mets but has failed to stand out among the pack. So him earning $20+ million over eight additional years taking him through his age 37 season, seems bizarre, at best.
3. Stephen Strasburg, WSH: 7 years, $245 million
Stephen Strasburg signed back with Washington on a seven-year, $245 million deal in the winter of 2019. The Nationals were in a conundrum after their 2019 World Series championship and the choice fell between Anthony Rendon and Strasburg, their World Series MVP.
It turned out that neither Strasburg nor Rendon was the right choice. Since the massive signing of $35 million a year, the right-hander only appeared in eight total starts in three years, ending in 2022. Strasburg finally came to terms with his injuries when he announced his retirement in April of this year.
Strasburg attempted to host a retirement celebration last season, but renegotiation was asked from Nationals ownership before proceeding. He finished his career 113-62 with a 3.24 ERA and 1.096 WHIP.
2. Taijuan Walker, PHI: 4 years, $72 million
Taijuan Walker signed a four-year, $72 million free agency deal with the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2023 season.
There haven't been too many signings that have missed the mark in the Dave Dombrowski era quite like Walker. The Walker deal certainly takes the cake, though. Since 2022, in 47 games in Philadelphia, Walker is 18-12 with a 5.04 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His swing-and-miss dropping, along with the ability to retain his velocity and command, has diminished any hope of him securing a rotation spot week-to-week.
The 10-game stretch going back to May in which a Walker start led to a Phillies loss felt comedic at best. The Phillies are now forced to make a decision about Walker's future with two remaining seasons to get through with no light at the end of this tunnel.
1. Patrick Corbin, WSH: 6 years, $140 million
Patrick Corbin signed a six-year, $140 million free agent deal with the Washington Nationals prior to the 2019 season.
What may be the king of current bad contracts in baseball, Corbin has done little after his first year with the Nationals. Corbin signed the deal after 2018 and cashed in with a new free agency deal after a strong season in Arizona. In 2019, Corbin went 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA and finished 11th in NL Cy Young voting. Since then, he is 32-69 with a gaudy 5.58 ERA. Corbin has also led the league in losses the last four seasons.
The one thing Corbin has going for him is that he is durable. He has stayed fully healthy all through his tenure as a National until it inevitably ends after the 2024 season.