Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLBTR looked at some of the least successful signings of the off season last year. And there’s a good chance that Oliver Perez was the worst of them all. Here are the other candidates.
Oliver Perez – $36MM over three years – He allowed 51 runs in 66 innings for an ugly 6.82 ERA. Knee injuries shortened his season, but he still managed to walk 58 batters, almost one per frame.
Milton Bradley – $30MM over three years – The volatile outfielder saw his OPS tumble by over 200 points this year. His off-field antics led to a suspension and the Cubs will now try to find a taker for the 31-year-old.
Edgar Renteria – $18.5MM over two years, plus club option – Those who criticized the Giants for this deal appear to have been justified. Renteria hit just .250/.307/.328 and didn’t play good enough defense to make up for his struggles at the plate.
Jamie Moyer – $16MM over two years – To his credit, Moyer pitched over 150 innings for the defending champs. Still, do the Phils want to pay a hittable 47-year-old $8MM next year? Probably not.
Pat Burrell – $16MM over two years – It’s one thing for the Phillies to mis-spend, but the Rays don’t have money to throw around. Andrew Friedman envisioned more than a .382 slugging percentage when he signed Burrell last winter.
What do you think, was Oliver Perez the worst signing of the off season?
I’d have to say the answer is an unequivocal yes.
Perez has been a disaster from the day that deal was done. Even before he signed the deal, the Mets were bidding against themselves and could have stood firm on a two year $20 million dollar deal that would have been less painful, but Boras convinced them he had a secret team in the offing as he usually does when he senses little leverage. It worked and the Mets spilled out their wallets.
Perez than has the raisins to show up to spring training out of shape and in no condition to put in the same workouts as his teammates. and was often winded and watching from the sidelines.
His fling in the WBC made matters worse and only exposed how unfit he was for duty. By the end of his first month the Mets were yanking him from the rotation where he then hurts his knee and ends up on the DL.
While rehabbing in the minors, he had one disastrous outing after another, but he was healthy and the Mets had to activate him. He is activated and continues to walk batters at an alarming rate, and soon after, even his own teammates began questioning his demeanor. Eventually he aggravates the injury once again and is shut down for the season.
This is actually the worst signing of all time. Omar was bidding against the Mexican League.
I couldn’t believe that Ollie had the gal to ask for so much, when if it weren’t for the Mets, he would be in the minors making no money at all. He tends to forget that he was a no name given to us by the Pirates after he went 3-13
Actually agree, what is Minaya thinking? Worst signing since Bobby Bonilla.
greed that this has to be the worst signing of all time. I think the entire “Mets nation” said “what” in unison when they heard this. Another reason Omar has given the Coupons to fire him. The was a collosal waste of money
Ollie has 6 years MLB experience. Though he has considerable service time, he is an immature kid who has little self discipline. He’s costing the Mets $12 Million annually for three years. It’s like dumping money in the toilet.
Derek Lowe is a savvy guy. He costs the Braves $15 Million a year on a four year contract. He is currently going at a 15-9 record. For the 2009-2011 seasons, Lowe would have cost the Mets an extra $3 Million annually.
Follow my logic. Ollie is at $12 Mil and we’re getting ZERO back, but Derek would have cost us only $3 Million more and, assuming pitching equivalence, we’d have 15 wins. What a bargain!!!
So Omar goofed and the Mets team lost out. For all the above reasons, Omar and Ollie are the worst signing of 2009 as a joint entry of the Mets stable!!!
Poor logic, but I guess I get you’re point. For $3 mil more, the Mets could have gotten a player that underperforms his contract by a few mil per year rather than $12 mil (actually more for Ollie this season, according to Fangraphs he has negative value, kind of like Jeff Francoeur in 2007-08.)
Sorry for the poor grammar: it should say “your point.” My bad.
Lowe priced himself out. I don’t think it’s right to compare one with the other. Saying “for only 3 million more” is a bit nieve. However, it does turn out that Perez was a terrible signing.
Like Castillo, the first year sucks. Like Castillo, Perez could put together a terrific year next year – as he has done in the past. Let’s hope, Mets fans – because he isn’t going anywhere for the next couple of years.
I think the real anger here is generated at Scott Boras – he’s doing his job by getting his clients the most he can – but he’s a liar and a thief.
I’ll be happy when this bizzare period of the “Los Mets” is over and done with.
Dump Omar, send Jerry to manage the Mets’ AAA team – hire Davy Johnson as GM and bring back Bobby V. as the manager. Let’s Go Mets!
Ollie’s $$$$ is nearly twice that of Castillo’s, so it’s critical that he pitch well. A few million here, a few million there, and pretty soon it’s real money.
Wow worst signing since Mo Yaughn.He should have been fired just for suggesting signing this space cadet.
it was a horrible signing. hopefully Perez can at least put up an ERA under 5.00 next year.
Doubt it. My guess is Ollie just banks the $36 mil and sits on his butt for 2 more yrs and then disappears over the sunset to his Caribbean beach with his lovely lady. Why bother working for a living when you can make more money than you can imagine just milking the golden contract? Taking the Mets for a ride just like Madoff did. Wilpons were suckers for this joy ride courtesy of Omar.
Ollie is a flake! Te Mets should have let him walk and heartily pursued other options. We would have had a better choice and proucivityBoras, his agent, is a snake. H e took advantage of the Mets’ pitching situation, their anxiety, and squeezed Minaya into a bad deal. Finally, Minaya is a fool for being caught in this game. Perez is no Sid Fernandez. Raving about “potential,” with no results is a mitake. If Pittsburgh did want him, what makes you think that the Mets can do any better? Omar, the numbers aren’t ther justifying this move. Get rid of him for bags of resin.
This was the worse signing since……Vince Coleman.
Thisis just another case against Omar Miniya lying stating that he wants to sign the “best available player”. Perez is not better than Lowe…but he is hispanic. Just another horrible signing by the Los Mets connection led by Omar Miniya and Tony Bernazard.
By the way:
I hear Omar is in negotiations for the 2010 season with Luis Tiant as a number 2 starter, Juan Marichal as a number 3, José Lima (again), Moises, Matty, Jesus Alou, Timo Perez and the great Estaban Yan.