Tweet
My team sucks. There isn't much for me to do these days so I thought I'd write an article on something that clearly has affected my teams performance this season. I came up with a list of the 25 worst values in the BLB. All it is based on is salary in THIS season and projected WAR for the end of the year. This isn't a list of the worst contracts in the BLB, as I only looked at 2020. And this isn't necessarily a reflection on the talent themselves but just what teams are getting in terms of value towards what they are paying.
A few qualifiers, I eliminated the two closers that would have made the list. The elite closers in the BLB get good money but probably don't have the amount of innings to fit in this metric. I also set the minimum salary at $10M. I'm sure there are players that make $2M and are a worse value than some of these players, but I think there is much added weight to a player who takes up a huge chunk of your teams budget. For instance, someone like P Tony Osorio (SYR) isn't even playing at the BLB level but making $8M. I think the guy who is making $15M+ and producing at a BLB league average level, is the much worse value.
Hopefully this is fun for teams to look at and might be a learning tool for others.
"America's Most Wanted"
SP Tadomi Nishimura (SYR) - $17.5M - (negative) 1.0 WAR
C Mike del Rio (DVS) - $18M - (negative) 0.6 WAR
OF Israel Morales (DC) - $18M - (negative) 0.5 WAR
SP Regin Baisden (BAT) - $15M - (negative) 0.3 WAR
OF Ethan Stuart (SEA) - $27M - 0.1 WAR
These guys are making a nearly a combined $100M (more than some teams entire salary for the year) and are producing at the rate of -2.3 WAR! Baisden hasn't played much this season due to injury. Del Rio hasn't played much as in DVS. Stuart has been in the minors for a lot of the year. The most remarkable thing about this group, besides Seattle, all of the other four teams are all at least 1.5 games back of a playoff spot. Imagine how much better these teams would be if they were able to spend that $15M+ elsewhere?!
"Top Dollar for League Average"
SP Jimmy Nygaard (PAW) - $19.5M - 0.2 WAR
SP J.D. Robilliard (PAW) - $15M - 0.2 WAR
SS Andy Garcia (KC) $12M - 0 WAR
1B Dave Slack (DEN) $12M - 0.2 WAR
OF Tom Estes (MOR) - $12M - 0.3 WAR
All five of these guys are producing at least at a league average level, but all making $12-$20M. They combine for $70M and less than 1 WAR! Only Denver, with Slack making $12M as a pinch-hitter, is in the thick of the playoff race. KC, PAW and MOR have three of the four worst records in the DL.
"The Ridiculously Over-Paid"
SS Marco Lona (LAD) - $20M - 0.8 WAR
IF Xavier Garnett (SEA) - $27M - 1.5 WAR
1B David Santoyo (CAR) - $15M - 0.9 WAR
SP Dave Honea (CAR) - $18.5M - 1.0 WAR
OF Dave Robinson (SEA) $11M - 0.7 WAR
These players play on some of the very worst teams in the BLB. Two of them, Garnett and Honea, were acquired in salary dump trades. Two others, Santoyo and Lona were once great, great players that are just too old these days. And the last, Robinson, hell if I know.
"Mostly Winners"
2B Jimmy Kidwell (PHI) - $19M - 1.2 WAR
SS Xavier Milledge (HAR) - $18M - 1.3 WAR
1B Danny Gomes (DAL) - $20M - 1.8 WAR
SP Siung-chung Zhang (PIT) - $25M - 2.0 WAR
SP Pat Yahn (LAD) - $25M - 2.5 WAR
Sometimes in the chase for the Brewmaster's Cup, you are willing to overpay for a slight edge. Milledge and Gomes were Free-Agent imports for their clubs but Hartford and Dallas are tied for the 4th best record in the BLB. Kidwell had a combined 12 WAR the last two seasons but appears to have hit a wall at 34. Zhang and Yahn are good pitchers, each 2+ WAR projection, but their teams are paying about $10M per win to do so.
"Good players just not good value"
SP Dave Baldwin (DVS) - $14.4M - 1.6 WAR
SP Johnny Talley (WC) - $20.5M - 2.2 WAR
1B Tommy Farless (DAV) $12M - 1.4 WAR
OF Jamie Williams (DAL) - $12.5M - 1.5 WAR
3B Jamie Davis (HAR) $10M - 1.2 WAR
These guys barely make the list and four of the five play for likely playoff teams. Davis and Williams have both spent time on the disabled list. Talley and Baldwin are mid-rotation pitchers on probable playoff teams. Farless, a 2019 All-Star, got paid to stay on a team that hasn't had a winning seasons since 2013.
---
Getting the Worst Values
SEA - 3
DVS - 2
PAW - 2
LAD - 2
CAR - 2
DAL - 2
A few qualifiers, I eliminated the two closers that would have made the list. The elite closers in the BLB get good money but probably don't have the amount of innings to fit in this metric. I also set the minimum salary at $10M. I'm sure there are players that make $2M and are a worse value than some of these players, but I think there is much added weight to a player who takes up a huge chunk of your teams budget. For instance, someone like P Tony Osorio (SYR) isn't even playing at the BLB level but making $8M. I think the guy who is making $15M+ and producing at a BLB league average level, is the much worse value.
Hopefully this is fun for teams to look at and might be a learning tool for others.
"America's Most Wanted"
SP Tadomi Nishimura (SYR) - $17.5M - (negative) 1.0 WAR
C Mike del Rio (DVS) - $18M - (negative) 0.6 WAR
OF Israel Morales (DC) - $18M - (negative) 0.5 WAR
SP Regin Baisden (BAT) - $15M - (negative) 0.3 WAR
OF Ethan Stuart (SEA) - $27M - 0.1 WAR
These guys are making a nearly a combined $100M (more than some teams entire salary for the year) and are producing at the rate of -2.3 WAR! Baisden hasn't played much this season due to injury. Del Rio hasn't played much as in DVS. Stuart has been in the minors for a lot of the year. The most remarkable thing about this group, besides Seattle, all of the other four teams are all at least 1.5 games back of a playoff spot. Imagine how much better these teams would be if they were able to spend that $15M+ elsewhere?!
"Top Dollar for League Average"
SP Jimmy Nygaard (PAW) - $19.5M - 0.2 WAR
SP J.D. Robilliard (PAW) - $15M - 0.2 WAR
SS Andy Garcia (KC) $12M - 0 WAR
1B Dave Slack (DEN) $12M - 0.2 WAR
OF Tom Estes (MOR) - $12M - 0.3 WAR
All five of these guys are producing at least at a league average level, but all making $12-$20M. They combine for $70M and less than 1 WAR! Only Denver, with Slack making $12M as a pinch-hitter, is in the thick of the playoff race. KC, PAW and MOR have three of the four worst records in the DL.
"The Ridiculously Over-Paid"
SS Marco Lona (LAD) - $20M - 0.8 WAR
IF Xavier Garnett (SEA) - $27M - 1.5 WAR
1B David Santoyo (CAR) - $15M - 0.9 WAR
SP Dave Honea (CAR) - $18.5M - 1.0 WAR
OF Dave Robinson (SEA) $11M - 0.7 WAR
These players play on some of the very worst teams in the BLB. Two of them, Garnett and Honea, were acquired in salary dump trades. Two others, Santoyo and Lona were once great, great players that are just too old these days. And the last, Robinson, hell if I know.
"Mostly Winners"
2B Jimmy Kidwell (PHI) - $19M - 1.2 WAR
SS Xavier Milledge (HAR) - $18M - 1.3 WAR
1B Danny Gomes (DAL) - $20M - 1.8 WAR
SP Siung-chung Zhang (PIT) - $25M - 2.0 WAR
SP Pat Yahn (LAD) - $25M - 2.5 WAR
Sometimes in the chase for the Brewmaster's Cup, you are willing to overpay for a slight edge. Milledge and Gomes were Free-Agent imports for their clubs but Hartford and Dallas are tied for the 4th best record in the BLB. Kidwell had a combined 12 WAR the last two seasons but appears to have hit a wall at 34. Zhang and Yahn are good pitchers, each 2+ WAR projection, but their teams are paying about $10M per win to do so.
"Good players just not good value"
SP Dave Baldwin (DVS) - $14.4M - 1.6 WAR
SP Johnny Talley (WC) - $20.5M - 2.2 WAR
1B Tommy Farless (DAV) $12M - 1.4 WAR
OF Jamie Williams (DAL) - $12.5M - 1.5 WAR
3B Jamie Davis (HAR) $10M - 1.2 WAR
These guys barely make the list and four of the five play for likely playoff teams. Davis and Williams have both spent time on the disabled list. Talley and Baldwin are mid-rotation pitchers on probable playoff teams. Farless, a 2019 All-Star, got paid to stay on a team that hasn't had a winning seasons since 2013.
---
Getting the Worst Values
SEA - 3
DVS - 2
PAW - 2
LAD - 2
CAR - 2
DAL - 2
Comment