Free Agent "BUSTS" 2010 MLB

Barndog

as we get to the AS break, I think it is a good time to discuss which 2009 free agents have been the biggest busts/worst performers for their new teams. As a Red Sox fan, I see the $17 million annually given to John Lackey (4.78 ERA as of today) to have pretty low return on investment. I believe that ERA is about one full run worse than his career average prior to coming to the Red Sox.

Who is your favorite non-performer of the year?

otwcards

Obvious free agent flops are outweighed by fantastic signings at great value:

Miguel Olivo C Col (1 year, $2.5 million)
Alex Gonzalez SS Tor (1 year, $2.75 million)
Vladimir Guerrero DH Tex (1 year, $6.5 million)
Jose Valverde RP Det (2 years, $7 million per season)
Adrian Beltre 3B Bos (1 year, $10 million)

Some of the biggest wastes:

Mike Gonzalez RP Balt
Nick Johnson DH NYY
Jason Bay OF NYM
Jason Marquis SP Wash
Hideki Matsui DH Ana
Chone Figgins 3B Sea

Garabaldi

Lackey has been horrible and just a crap signing.

digicat

<< <i>Obvious free agent flops are outweighed by fantastic signings at great value: >>



You should add Aubrey Huff to that list:

$3 mil got the Giants 17 hr, 54 RBI, and .294/.380/.548. He's the best hitter on the team.

alnavman

Don't know if he was a free agent but Freddie Garcia is giving the White Sox more than they had anticipated.....

CNote

I always liked Garcia (The Chief) when he was in Seattle. Talk about scoring a good prospect from Houston when Seattle sent Randy Johnson over there as a second half rental.

Connecticoin

Bootaro's defense has been very disappointing, but I guess he is not a "bust".

Unless he turns it around, Lacking is the Red Sox version of A.J. Burnett.

Garabaldi

Would have been better with A. Gonzalez

Barndog

<< <i>Bootaro's defense has been very disappointing, but I guess he is not a "bust".

Unless he turns it around, Lacking is the Red Sox version of A.J. Burnett. >>



only when Lacking is part of a WS winning team, like AJ helped with last year.

lanemyer85

Figgins would be up there on pure numbers. .235/.332/.276 is a pretty large guh. But for me it's Lackey pretty easily. I'm stunned that an organization that employs statistical analysts like Bill James and is normally really smart with their money (under Epstein anyway) gave a pitcher who had that many innings under his belt and was trending downward in virtually every category....not to mention was pitching in an inferior offensive division in a park that was at best a neutral pitcher's park - 5y/$82.5M and then followed that up with giving Beckett 4y/$68M (meaning the Sox will have no shot at keeping C.Lee away from the Yanks). So the BoSox are paying a guy who is statistically similar if not worse than Hideki Kuroda $18M a year based on the perception that he was a "soft" ace 4 years ago.

Lackey
2008 - 3.75 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 8.8 H/9, 7.2 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, ERA+ 119
2009 - 3.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 9.0 H/9, 7.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, ERA+ 115
2010 - 4.78 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 10.8 H/9, 5.4 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, ERA+ 93

Kuroda
2008 - 3.73 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 8.9 H/9, 5.7 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, ERA+ 112 (rookie year)
2009 - 3.66 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.1 H/9, 6.7 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, ERA+ 115
2010 - 3.87 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.8 H/9, 7.2 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, ERA+ 100

if the Red Sox wanted to overpay for an ace based solely on past reputation, we could have given you Carlos Zambrano for a bag of balls and Hendry would have at least eaten a few mill on top of it.