Ranking the 12 worst contracts in MLB after 2021 trade deadline

Initial Deal: Two-years/$24 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: Likely $17.5 Million

A former Boston Red Sox fan-favorite, Bradley remains a tremendous defender. The problem is that in his first season, his offensive output has been so poor -- .177/.253/.293 with a .546 OPS -- that Bradley has still been one of the least valuable players in the league. Bradley can opt out of his two-year/$24 million deal after this season, but he almost certainly won't considering he's due to make $9.5 million in 2022. Bradley's deal includes a mutual $12 million option for 2023, which the Brewers will probably decline, forcing them to pay an $8 million buyout. This deal could really hamper a team that's not typically a major spender.

Initial Deal: Five-years/$85 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $60 Million

Bumgarner is arguably the greatest postseason pitcher in MLB history, but he hasn't appeared in the playoffs since 2016 and is part of a roster unlikely to return anytime soon. Bumgarner did pitch a non-no-hitter in a seven-inning game earlier this season, but soon-to-be 32-year-old has a 5.43 ERA in 24 starts in Arizona.

Initial Deal: Seven Years/$217 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $32 Million

Price did help the Boston Red Sox to win the 2018 World Series during this deal, but the former American League Cy Young Award winner has a 3.83 ERA since the start of this deal -- not a disastrous mark, but not worthy of this deal either. 2022 will be the final season of Price's deal, and he'll make $32 million. The Red Sox were supposed to be on the hook for $48 million over the final three seasons of Price's contract as part of the Mookie Betts trade made before the 2020 campaign. Price opting out of the 2020 season lessened that amount slightly, but Boston will still pay half of Price's salary in 2022.

Initial Deal: Two Years/$28 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $14.5 Million

Gregorius was excellent in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, homering 10 times and driving in 40 runs in 60 games, which earned him a new two-year/$28 million deal. Unfortunately for the Phillies, Gregorius has struggled to stay healthy in his second season in red pinstripes and hasn't performed well when he's played. The 31-year-old has -9 defensive runs saved, which may force the Phillies to move him to another position for the final year of his deal, when he's slated to make $14.5 million. The scariest part is that Gregorius has struggled at the plate as well, slashing just .209/.263/.382 with a .645 OPS.

Initial Deal: Six Years/$140 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $82 Million

It's hard to call the Corbin deal a disaster because he had a 3.25 ERA, 3.49 FIP and 4.7 fWAR across 202 innings in the first year of the deal, also helping the Nationals to win their first World Series title that same season. However, in parts of two seasons since 2019, Corbin has a 5.36 ERA in 31 starts. To make matters worse, this is a back-loaded deal that also includes some deferred money. Corbin is slated to make $35 million in 2024, the final year of his deal. In 2025, he'll collect $10 million from the Nationals, even though his time with the team will likely have concluded.

Initial Deal: 13-Year/$325 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $189 Million

Derek Jeter once signed a 10-year/$189 million deal with the Yankees, and it worked out swimmingly. Stanton has $189 million remaining after 2021 on the 13-year deal he initially signed with Miami Marlins, and it doesn't figure to go as well for the Yankees. Stanton hardly played between 2019 and 2020, and is pretty much exclusively a DH at this stage of his career. The 31-year-old is slashing .255/.352/.450 with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs in 2021, so it's not as though he's a bad player, but he's certainly not playing at a high enough level to justify what figure to be some lean years at the end of this pact.

Initial Deal: Eight-Year/$184 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $64 Million

Heyward has been an excellent defensive outfielder during his time with the Cubs, but that's not enough to make up for what's been underwhelming offensive productive pretty much from the get-go during this deal. Heyward is in the midst of the worst offensive season of his career, slashing just .198/.272/.325 and the Cubs are pretty much stuck with him for two more years. Heyward will also collect $20 million in deferrals between 2024 and 2027.

Initial Deal: Seven-Years/$245 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $175 Million

Despite a history of injury problems, the Nationals gave Strasburg a seven-year deal after he won the 2019 World Series MVP. In the time since, injuries have limited him to just 26 2/3 innings. Mind you, the Nationals gave Strasburg this deal rather than Anthony Rendon, who left to sign an identical deal with the Los Angeles Angels. It remains to be seen how Rendon's deal ages, but you'd prefer to take your chances with his bat than Strasburg's health moving forward.

Initial Deal: 10 Years/$240 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $48 Million

Canó had some productive seasons early on in this deal, which he initially signed with the Seattle Mariners. However, he was suspended for half of the 2018 season -- his last year with the Mariners -- after failing a PED test. Canó struggled in his first season with the Mets, but rebounded during the pandemic-shortened season, hitting .316 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs. And then, he was suspended for the entire 2021 season after failing another PED test. The Mets didn't have to pay Canó in 2021, but they will over the next two campaigns, when he's due $48 million and may have to be a DH (if that returns to the National League).

Initial Deal: Eight-Years/$144 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $59 Million

For all the great moves that A.J. Preller has made in recent seasons, the eight-year deal issued to Hosmer is a mess. The former Kansas City Royals star has a -0.3 fWAR in 2021, and the Padres were apparently interested in potentially attaching a highly-regarded prospect to a trade if it allowed them to remove what's still owed to Hosmer in the future. That didn't happen, and for now, the Padres are on the hook for nearly $60 million to Hosmer after 2021.

Initial Deal: Eight-Years/$248 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $80 Million

It's sad to say, but Cabrera has gone from being an all-time great hitter to one of the worst players in the sport. Eight years after posting a 1.078 OPS en route to winning his second consecutive American League MVP, Cabrera has just a .679 OPS in 2021. While he's 38, Cabrera still has two guaranteed years remaining on his deal, and he'll make $32 million in each of them. The Tigers will certainly decline their half of the $30 million mutual options for 2024 and 2025, but that will leave them to pay Cabrera $10 million buyouts in each season.

Initial Deal: Seven Years/$161 Million
Amount Remaining After 2021: $17 Million

Davis has missed the entire 2021 season after having arthroscopic surgery on his left hip, but still has one more year left on what's been one of the worst deals in baseball history. Since Davis' deal began in 2016, the former All-Star has been worth -2.3 fWAR, which trails only Albert Pujols, whose 10-year deal will conclude at the end of the 2021 season. If the Orioles hadn't signed Davis to this deal, might they have been able to keep Manny Machado? We'll never know, but they'd prefer not to have this contract on the books regardless.