Ranking the 10 worst MLB contracts after 2022 trade deadline
A little more than half a season is too early to call a contract a bust, but one of the more lucrative contracts issued this past offseason isn't off to a great start.
Nick Castellanos signed a five-year/$100 million deal to join the Philadelphia Phillies are putting up a career year with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. While Castellanos' defensive shortcomings are well documented, the feeling was that he'd get the bulk of his starts at DH, and create one of the best lineups in the league alongside Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto.

That may still happen, but it's been a very disappointing first season with the Phillies to this point. A year after posting a .939 OPS, Castellanos has an OPS under .700 currently. Because of injuries to Harper, Castellanos has been asked to play in the field much more than initially anticipated, and he has -12 defensive runs saved and -8 outs above average to show for it. His -1.1 fWAR is by far the worst mark among all qualified position players.
In his defense, Castellanos had a disappointing first season with the Reds, before making the National League All-Star team and winning a Silver Slugger in his second season with the team. Perhaps as Castellanos adjusts to playing in Philadelphia, his results will improve. If not, he's in danger of ending up on a list like this.
With the 2022 MLB trade deadline in the books, here are the 10 worst contracts in baseball currently: