MLB Free Agent Signings With Biggest ‘Bust’ Potential

When clubs shell out millions to sign hot free agents during the offseason, they expect big numbers, bobble head days, and an attendance boost. What teams don’t always account for is the fact that their prized new players may not perform. If the Yankees had known the last A-Rod contract would’ve ended so poorly for their side, they almost certainly wouldn’t have agreed to mortgage the latter years for a few extra prime years. Here is a list of 2017 free agent signings that could lead to serious buyers’ remorse:

Rich Hill- 3 year, 48 million

Rich Hill was the Cinderella story of 2016. After finding success with the Red Sox at the end of 2015, the 36-year old Hill ended the 2016 season with a remarkable 2.12 ERA. However, injuries plagued his time with the Dodgers, and will almost certainly limit his starts with the team in 2017. His track record tells the whole story. His 110-inning 2016 was the first season since 2007 that he recorded more than 59 innings. Furthermore, given his limited pitch artillery, it may be easy for hitters to adjust. Unfortunately for the LA blue, they couldn’t leave well enough alone and let the 37-year-old Hill come back to Earth with another team. Now under contract for three more years, Hill should contribute when he’s on the field, but the chances of him making more than 10-15 starts are slim.

Edwin Encarnacion- 3 year, $60 million

Photo Credit: CBC.ca

Since 2012, “EdWing” has been a dominant source of power, averaging 38.6 homeruns in that 5-year span. His OPS, OPS+, and RBI totals are superb as well. So why the red flags? Well, Encarnacion has only managed to play 150 games twice in his career. Furthermore, he is entering his age 34 season, and is now well past the typical prime years for a standard MLB player. As if the increasing chances of injury weren’t enough, the former Jays’ slugger will now play 81 of his games at Progressive Field, which features a deeper left-field fence. Considering “EdWing” pulls most of his home runs to that side of the field, his power numbers could dip considerably.  

Dexter Fowler- 5 year, 82.5 million

Photo Credit: MLB.com

As a member of the Cubs in 2015-2016, Fowler elevated his game to a whole new level. During at least one of the past two seasons, he set personal bests in plate appearances, at bats, runs scored, hits, homeruns, stolen bases, walks, OBP, and total bases. Simply put, Fowler enjoyed his time in Chicago, at least statistically. Now 31, Fowler will leave the defending World Series Champions for their rivals in St. Louis. To say Fowler will be a bust in 2017 is a bit of a stretch. But given the size of his contract, any regression would prove unfavorable for the Cardinals. It’s logical to assume that the Cubs’ magic may run out, and he will assume his usual 70/8/40 numbers. Additionally, the Cardinals’ lineup is not nearly as potent as the squad from the North Side, so his runs scored totals may dip even more. In the bazaar outfielder switch between division foes, the Cardinals may finally feel the pain that the 2016 Cubs endured with Jason Heyward.

Article by: Brandon Stanley , Twitter → @_branstan

(Statistics provided by: probaseballreference.com, espn.com)