Place your bets! Free agent Busts

[NEILKAHN]

As an addendum to the thread on one season wonders, I was stimulated to think up those players on whom the greatest amount of money was wasted for the least return. Immediately I think about the three years of mega salary the Orioles had to eat because of Albert Belle's steroid related hip problems.

[DizandMiles]

Kevin Brown - let's make him a closer
Alomar - great 2nd baseman with a wicked spitter
You hit on Bell
I guess Sosa was a trade - wish we still had Hairston and don't get me started on on bad trades...
Ponson -
and then the free agent giveaways - any pitcher with a habit of regularly winning or saving wins
But Angelos does know how to screw his neighbors in DC...

[NEILKAHN]

Really, the vast majority of free agent signings by the Mets. Alomar, Mo Vaughn leap to mind. Several Yankees too, although when you sign as many as they do, you are asking for trouble. Chuck Knoblauch, Mike Mussina has never pitched for the Yankees like he did for the O's, Juan Gonzalez the year for the Tigers. He was well worth it the next year for the Tribe, however. Cleveland got exactly nothing from the signing of Bob Ojeda, Chuck Finley, and John Smiley. So much for having a dominant lefty starter in the nineties. Smiley did appear in The Natural, however, and Finley got his a** kicked by Tawney Kittane.

[chunga1]

bell put up good numbers when he played....his contract was coverd by insurence so it wasn't a total bust. now the glen davis trade........bad

[doctrcpa]

Knoblauch was actually a trade for the Yanks. They gave up Milton, Christian Guzman (turning into a bust for the Nats), Buchanon and someone else.

I remember first seeing him play 2nd base for the Yanks and wondering how this guy had ever won a gold glove. And this was before the Steve Sax syndrome set in.

[NEILKAHN]

Knoblauch was a great player for the Twins, and for more than one season, so I must presume he was adversely effected by playing in New York. It is odd how some players seem to tank there while others blossom. I am sure the Yankees wish they had kept Eric Milton.

[tkl33]

As a Reds fan, I wish the Yankees had kept Milton also! :shock:

[cplake]

[b:38f4edf710]Nick Esasky[/b:38f4edf710]

Had a great year for Boston in 1989 and signed a multi-million dollar contract with Atlanta the next year. He had a total of 9 games with Atlanta (35 ABs) before being diagnosed with vertigo........career over.

[doctrcpa]

Esasky's vertigo was the first sign to me that fantasy baseball was really starting to take off. Apparently, fans were calling the Braves constantly trying to get an update on Esasky.

Re: Knoblauch, while I thought that he was an overrated fielder before he imploded defensively, he was a key cog in the 3 World Series champions, so I think that was a good trade for the Yankees.

[tomwistar]

C'mon ... you guys have forgotten about the worst signing EVER, or darn near.

Chan Ho Park with the Rangers.

Need I say more?