Ranking the 11 worst MLB contracts ahead of 2022 season
For the better part of the last decade, Albert Pujols' 10-year/$254 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels was seen as the worst contract in baseball.
While the St. Louis Cardinals were initially criticized for allowing Pujols to walk after he helped them to win the 2011 World Series, he posted just a .758 OPS during parts of 10 seasons with the Angels. Mind you, Pujols had a staggering 1.037 OPS during the first 11 seasons of his career, earning him three National League MVP Awards.

Pujols did hit his 500th and 600th home runs as a member of the Angels, but made just one All-Star team during his 10-year contract, while posting just 5.3 in fWAR. In his first stint with the Cardinals, Pujols posted 81.3 fWAR.
Ultimately, the Angels released Pujols in May of 2021, the final year of his contract. Pujols stayed in Los Angeles for the rest of the season, turning in pretty solid production as a bench player for the Dodgers. He'll return to St. Louis for the 2022 season, perhaps putting a cap on one of the greatest careers in league history.
While Pujols' deal is now off the books for the Angels, there are still quite a few contracts around the sport that teams regret issuing. Ahead of the 2022 season, here -- from the perspective of the league's 30 teams -- are the 11 worst contracts in baseball: