Major League Baseball has one major disadvantage that the NFL doesn’t have: guaranteed contracts. Professional baseball teams are littered with underperforming players that are saddled with massive contracts. The vast majority of these players are now untradeable and locked into their current teams. How many teams would love to be able to unload some of those burdensome deals? Probably all of them.
Let’s look at 10 MLB superstars whose teams would love to be able to move on from them.
Wander Franco – Tampa Bay Rays
Wander Franco is/was a rising star in Major League Baseball until being placed on the Restricted List by the Rays in August 2023 as the result of an investigation into an alleged relationship with a minor. He is currently on indefinite administrative leave, and the future of his career is in serious jeopardy, as well as his freedom. Legally, he is allowed the assumption of innocence until proven guilty, but that shouldn’t stop the Rays from releasing Franco. At worst, he is guilty of exercising extremely poor judgment, and at even worse, he is guilty of a horrendous crime. With the major legal issues looming, Wander Franco is a player that shouldn’t be touched with a 10-foot bat.
Manny Machado – San Diego Padres
When a team with questionable finances has 3 huge, long-term contracts on the books, it isn’t hard to figure out who might end up on this list. Wait no longer, it’s Manny Machado. At just 31 years old, he still has several seasons of productivity left. Machado also has a clause in his contract that allows him to opt out of the last 5 years of his contract and plans to use it. If he opts out, the Padres can simply let him walk; if he stays, the team should look to make a trade. The way baseball salaries are going, in a few years his contract might not be considered bad. Now is the time for San Diego to move on from Manny Machado.
Giancarlo Stanton – New York Yankees
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
It’s a good thing that the Yankees have a lot of money to play with because they have some of the most bloated, overpaid players in the game today. Meet Exhibit A: Giancarlo Stanton. His contract is the definition of an albatross, and unfortunately for New York, there are still 4 more years remaining. Stanton’s declining ability to play the field has left him an overpaid, one-dimensional player, and he is starting to fail at that one dimension. In another injury-plagued 2023, Stanton hit for a .191 average with only 24 home runs. Those are not the numbers of someone earning $29 million a year. It might take eating some of the money left on his contract to trade him, but the Yankees need to show him out. Hey Giancarlo, don’t let the door hit you on the way out, you might get injured again.
Josh Donaldson – Milwaukee Brewers – RETIRED
Josh Donaldson is a former American League MVP and a current PIA (“pain in the …”). A notoriously difficult presence in the locker room, he has worn out his welcome in places such as Minnesota and New York. Donaldson was only in Milwaukee for less than a month, so there’s no telling if he had time to alienate the Brewers locker room. It’s not just the rough personality, it’s also the diminished skills. Starting in 2020, Donaldson’s numbers have decreased while playing time missed due to injury has increased. Fortunately, he will be a free agent after the 2023 season, which means the Brewers simply need to let Josh Donaldson leave.
Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels
After the 2019 season, Anthony Rendon signed a 7-year, $245 million contract with the Angels. That deal has been a disaster from the start. Since 2000, Rendon has played in 200 out of a possible 648 games, and there are still 3 years left on his deal. He will not be easy to move, but with the hope of having the incredible amount of money needed to re-sign Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles should try. Having one big-money, injury-prone player in Mike Trout is enough, they don’t need a second. The Angels should investigate whatever it takes to remove Anthony Rendon’s contract from their books.
Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
Over the last 17 years, Joey Votto has carved out a great career in Cincinnati, which puts the organization in a tough spot. Votto might be a free agent, depending on if the Reds exercise their club option. They shouldn’t, and they shouldn’t resign him either. It’s never easy ushering a legend out the door, but it’s time to cut ties. At 40 years old, a new contract, especially multiple years, would be ridiculous. Age and injuries have taken their toll, as evidenced by his declining production over the past few seasons. If Joey Votto won’t leave on his own, it’s time for the Reds to show him out.
Max Scherzer – Texas Rangers
The Rangers acquired Max Scherzer before the trade deadline with the hope of a successful playoff run. As a condition of the trade, his $43 million option for next year kicked in. The only way out of this deal now is through trade, buyout, or release, but Texas should begin to look into each option. It was during the 2023 season that Scherzer started to show the wear and tear associated with a 40-year-old pitcher. That doesn’t bode well for next year. It’s said that “Things are bigger in Texas”, but the Rangers can avoid a big problem in 2024 by finding a way to move on from Max Scherzer.
Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw has been the unquestioned ace of the Dodgers pitching staff for the better part of the last 16 years, but he will soon be 36 years old. The time might be here for Los Angeles to make a very difficult decision: saying goodbye to their longtime ace. There is no denying that Kershaw can still pitch; he was 13-5 with a 2.46 ERA in 2023, but he has missed time with injuries recently and will be a free agent this year. Coming off a deal that was paying $20 million a year, and realizing that this might be his last contract, how much money will Kershaw want? Considering that the Dodgers already have one of the highest payrolls in the game, they would be better off letting Clayton Kershaw walk.
Kris Bryant – Colorado Rockies
Kris Bryant will be 37 when he reaches free agency in 5 years. Colorado would be wise to see if they can get out of this deal sooner rather than later. In the two years since signing with the Rockies, Bryant has only played in 122 out of 324 total games, and his numbers are down, in Colorado! Signing him to a 7-year, $182 million contract seemed reasonable at the time, considering the level of production shown with the Cubs and Giants, but it was clearly a mistake. Unless he finds the Fountain of Youth, it’s time for the Rockies to cut their losses, and ties, with Kris Bryant.
Carlos Rodon – New York Yankees
Signing Carlos Rodon was a mistake from the start for New York. For the most part of his career, Rodon was injury-prone. The fact that he put together back-to-back solid years before heading into free agency may have clouded the Yankees’ judgment, but last season clearly showed that Rodon cannot be counted on. In 2023, he only started 14 games, lasted 64 ⅓ innings, and had a 6.85 ERA. He was injured, and ineffective, and there are valid questions about whether he can handle New York. If the Yankees could get out from the remaining 5 years of Carlos Rodon’s contract, they should.
