Breaking Down the Worst 3 Free Agency Signings of This Offseason

This offseason featured plenty of signings, some louder than others. But no matter the size of the deal, the goal is the same: bring in players who fit your team’s needs, payroll structure, and competitive timeline. Sometimes a contract isn’t outrageous financially, but it blocks development. Other times, a player’s name value outweighs what he realistically brings moving forward. These three moves stand out as signings that simply were not the smartest use of resources.

Rockies sign Willi Castro – 2 years, $12.8 million

On the surface, paying roughly $6 million per year for someone who can play nearly every position sounds fine. The problem isn’t the money, it’s the situation.

The Rockies just went 43–119, the worst record in baseball by a wide margin. A team coming off a season like that should be prioritizing evaluation and upside, not adding stopgaps.

Castro hit .226 with a .679 OPS in 2025. That’s not production you go out of your way to secure when you’re rebuilding. Colorado already has plenty of young, controllable players who need at-bats. Tyler Freeman led the team in batting average and can move around the field. Ezequiel Tovar is locked in at short. Ryan Ritter, Eduard Julian, Adael Amador, and top prospect Charlie Condon are all in the mix. The outfield is just as crowded with Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle, Jake McCarthy, Mickey Moniak, and Zac Veen.

Every inning Castro plays is one that could be going to a younger player with actual long-term upside. Even if Castro is steady, what does that accomplish for a 100-loss team? At best, he’s average. At worst, he’s blocking someone who might be more.

This isn’t a crippling contract. It’s just unnecessary. 

Mets sign Jorge Polanco – 2 years, $40 million

The Mets had a rocky start to the offseason after losing key pieces. They rebounded with some strong moves, but giving Jorge Polanco $20 million per year to play first base is a gamble.

Polanco had a strong 2025: 22 home runs and an .821 OPS. That plays very well at second base. At first base, it’s closer to average. 

More concerning is the consistency. In the past four years, 2025 was the only season he posted an OPS over .800 and the only one where he played more than 120 games. Health has not been a strength. Now he’s being paid to switch to a new position, one where his bat doesn’t carry the same positional value.

Another issue is roster flexibility. After adding Polanco and Bo Bichette, someone gets squeezed. Either Brett Baty or Mark Vientos loses consistent at-bats. Vientos hit 27 home runs in 2024. Baty took a step forward in 2025 with 18 homers and a .748 OPS. Both need reps, not a $20 million roadblock.

If Polanco repeats 2025, the deal looks fine. If he doesn’t, it’s $40 million spent at a position where power is expected.

It’s not disastrous. But it’s a risky bet on recent production outweighing a longer trend of injuries and inconsistency.

Red Sox sign Ranger Suárez – 5 Years, $130 Million

Ranger Suárez has been a very good major league pitcher. A 3.38 career ERA and postseason success speak for themselves. But this deal is about projection, not résumé.

In 2025, his fastball averaged 90.5 mph, the bottom 7% in baseball. His whiff rate was well below league average. He succeeds on command and soft contact, not overpowering stuff. That profile can work, but it leaves very little margin for decline.

The Red Sox are committing $26 million per year through his age-35 season to a pitcher who doesn’t miss many bats and doesn’t have elite velocity to fall back on if things slip even slightly.

Boston already has rotation options. Garrett Crochet is an ace. Sonny Gray has a long track record of success. Brayan Bello is under control through 2030. Johan Oviedo is trending upward. Left-handed prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle are both highly regarded and were pretty much kept out of trade talks this winter.

Depth is valuable. But paying premium dollars for a pitcher whose game relies on precision rather than power in a division loaded with right-handed hitters like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Pete Alonso, Junior Caminero, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is a major bet.

On top of that, Boston moved on from Rafael Devers previously and let Alex Bregman walk. If you’re choosing not to spend long-term on impact bats, allocating $130 million to this specific pitching profile is questionable asset management.

Suárez is good. But five years at that price for this skill set is the kind of contract that can age fast.

Final Thoughts

None of these signings guarantees disaster. But each one reflects a questionable use of resources, whether it’s blocking young players on a rebuilding team, betting heavily on recent production despite durability concerns, or committing long-term money to a profile with limited margin for decline.

These are the kinds of deals that might look fine right now but could age poorly for a magnitude of different reasons.