What is the worst contract in MLB? Major League Baseball teams aren't as careless with their spending these days, so we aren't seeing many contracts that prove disastrous just a few years into the deal. However, there is still no shortage of bad contracts in the league.
Let's take a look at our list of the worst MLB contracts right now, going position by position, before Opening Day.
Catcher: Kibert Ruiz, Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals acquired catcher Kibert Ruiz as part of a package of prospects including Josiah Gray in a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Trey Turner and Max Scherzer. He looked promising after hitting .743 OPS and had a .257 batting average and .685 OPS in his first full season with the club. In March 2023, Washington signed Ruiz to an eight-year contract worth $50 million. After showing more promise in 2023 (.717 OPS), Ruiz has been one of the least productive catchers in baseball over the past two seasons. As of 2024-25, he ranks 33rd among qualified catchers in fWAR (-1.0), 30th in OPS (.618), and 48th in catcher framing runs (-12) over that two-season span. While Ruiz's average annual value ($6.25 million) ranks 15th among catchers, the Nationals still owe him $36.875 million over the next five seasons.
RELATED: Best MLB Catchers 2026
First base: Christian Walker, Houston Astros
We praised the Houston Astros for their signing of Christian Walker a year ago. He most recently came off of three seasons with 281 RBI, 95 home runs and a .813 OPS, along with .242 runs batted in and 11.3 bWAR. It all fell apart in his age-34 season. Walker posted career lows in batting average (.238) and OBP (.297) throughout the season, as his OPS dropped to .717 and his strikeout rate (27.3 percent) was second among first basemen along with the fourth-lowest walk rate (6.3 percent). For good measure, they also had the second-worst defensive runs saved (-7). He is still owed $40 million for the next two seasons. We, along with the Astros, were wrong.
RELATED: Best MLB First Basemen 2026
Second base: Marcus Semien, New York Mets
How stretched has second base become in MLB? Marcus Semien is both a top-10 player at the position and also has the worst contract among his peers. Acquired by the New York Mets this winter, Semien is coming off a campaign where he won his second Gold Glove Award and ranked in the 92nd percentile for range (7 outs on average). The positives end there. In his age-34 season, Semien ranked in the 8th percentile of Baseball Savant for bat speed (68.4 mph) and the 17th percentile for hard-hit rate (35 percent). These numbers explain his .686 OPS and .234 batting average over the last two seasons. Still owed a total of $72 million over the next three seasons, this contract could look even worse if Father Time begins to take away his fielding ability.
RELATED: Best MLB Second Basemen 2026
Third base: Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves
In August 2022, the Atlanta Braves signed All-Star third baseman Austin Riley to a 10-year contract extension worth $212 million. It seemed like a pretty fair deal at the time, as he had just played in his first All-Star Game and was coming off a campaign with 33 home runs, 107 RBIs and a .898 OPS. He rewarded the organization for the long-term investment by having a .281 batting average, .861 OPS, 37 home runs and 6.0 bWAR in 2023. Things have gotten worse since then. Riley's batting average (.281 to .256) and OPS (.861 to .783) both declined, and his strikeout rate increased. It got even worse last season, as evidenced by his lowest OPS (.737) in an entire season since becoming the starter. Riley ranks 12th among third basemen in fWAR (4.1) and 12th in OPS (.760) over the past two seasons. While this still makes him an above-average third baseman statistically, he has the fifth-highest AAV ($21.2 million) and the Braves have guaranteed him $154 million over the next seven seasons.
RELATED: Best MLB Third Basemen 2026
Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres
It didn't take long for Xander Bogaerts' contract to go sour. The San Diego Padres signed him to an 11-year, $280 million contract through December 2022. Over his last five seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Bogaerts posted a .300 batting average with an .880 OPS and he averaged 4.6 bWAR per season. Over the past two years, San Diego's shortstop has a .263 batting average with a .705 OPS and 3.2 bWAR. Heading into his age-33 season, Bogaerts is still owed more than $204 million over the next eight seasons. The Padres are stuck on his contract until 2033, when Bogaerts will be 40, because no one is taking it.
RELATED: Best MLB Shortstops 2026
Outfield: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
No one will feel bad for the Los Angeles Angels for having one of the worst MLB contracts in 2026. This isn't just because it's something they're used to. This organization failed to build a playoff team around one of the best baseball players of our era; Mike Trout has not made the playoffs since 2014 and this was his only postseason appearance in his major-league career. Sadly, years of injuries took a serious toll on the future Hall of Famer. Trout has played in just 241 games over the last three seasons, and has a .827 OPS with a .242 batting average over that span. He's still a very good hitter, as we saw last season with a .797 OPS and 26 home runs in 456 at-bats. Unfortunately, Trout can only really function as a designated hitter now and is years away from the caliber of player we saw from 2012-19 (1.009 OPS). Heading into the 2026 season, Trout is owed just over $185 million ($37.116 million AAV) over the next five years.
RELATED: Best MLB Center Fielders 2026; Best left fielder in MLB 2026;Best MLB Right Fielders 2026
Designated Hitter: Kris Bryant, Colorado Rockies
After a three-year period with a .446 winning percentage, the Colorado Rockies decided to sign Kris Bryant to a seven-year contract worth $182 million. This was a head-scratcher at the time as he was entering his 30s and coming off a two-year span with just a .796 OPS. It turned out to be worse than even the biggest skeptics had thought. Due to injuries, Bryant played only 170 games in his four seasons with the Rockies. The former NL MVP has managed to compile a .244 batting average with a .695 OPS, 17 home runs and 61 RBI during that span. Bryant's body is breaking down and he may have to retire at some point, but it's hard to walk away from that when he's still owed $81 million for the next three seasons.
RELATED: Best Designated Hitter 2026
Starting Pitcher: Jose Berrios, Toronto Blue Jays
There were a few candidates at this spot — among them Eduardo Rodriguez and Yu Darvish — but the criteria of long-term money are the difference-makers when comparing the worst contracts in Major League Baseball. Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios, a two-time All-Star selection with the Minnesota Twins, is no longer at anywhere near the level he used to be. He has posted a 4.14 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP in 720 innings over the last four seasons. Most recently, he is coming off a two-year period where he had the sixth-worst WHIP (1.22) among starters who pitched over 350 innings. Given his performance last season – a 4.17 ERA and 1.3 WHIP – it's hard to imagine any scenario where he would decline his player option next winter. That means Toronto will have to pay him $67 million over the next three seasons, while getting back-end starter production in return.
RELATED: Best MLB Pitchers 2026
