Ranking the worst contracts in the National League Central

It's almost the end of the season, which means free agency is fast approaching; so, just for fun, let's take a look at some of the worst contracts in the National League Central division.

Admittedly, this was a challenging exercise for this particular division. Other than the clear No. 1 on this list, there aren't too many egregiously bad contracts in the NL Central – none that would appear on any league-wide rankings of the worst contracts in baseball, anyway.

The Cincinnati Reds are in fantastic shape now that they've gotten Joey Votto's contract off the books, so they don't even have a player on this list. The Pittsburgh Pirates famously don't spend money on, well, anything; and the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have been somewhat conservative when it comes to handing out big contracts.

There are a few exceptions, though. Below are the five worst contracts in the NL Central, ranked in ascending order of severity.

Ranking the 5 worst contracts in the National League Central (Pirates fans, you're comparatively fine)

5. Kyle Hendricks (Four years, $55.5 million)

In fairness, Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks' contract isn't that terrible, especially considering it only runs through the end of the current season. But while he was a key contributor to the 2016 World Series, he just isn't as reliable as he once was.

Hendricks had been making $14 million in each of the last three seasons, and the Cubs picked up his $16.5 million option for 2024. Put simply, it's a massive overpay for a 34-year-old starter with a 6.60 ERA and a 3-11 record this season.

4. Ke'Bryan Hayes (Eight years, $70 million)

In terms of average annual salary ($8.75 million), Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes' contract doesn't seem that bad. (What's bad – nay, sad – is the fact that it was the richest contract in Pirates franchise history at the time it was awarded in 2022, but that's another complaint for another time.) While it may not seem like a lot of money, it's a whole lot for a perennially cost-conscious team like the Pirates.

Yes, Hayes won a Gold Glove in 2023, but he has never truly taken off offensively the way he was expected to. He also has a chronically bad back that has landed him on the IL multiple times at age 27, so it's hard to imagine this contract looking anything but worse by the time he's 33.

3. Steven Matz (Four years, $44 million)

St. Louis signed pitcher Steven Matz to a four-year, $44 million deal after the 2021 season, and it's hard to look at that contract as anything but a failure. Matz hasn't stayed healthy or given the Cardinals quality innings, resulting in a cumulative ERA over 5.00 during his tenure in St. Louis.

Matz's contract carries the highest annual salary ($12.5 million) in 2024 and 2025, meaning that he is getting paid more as his performance declines (which wasn't an incredibly high bar to clear in the first place). His 6.12 ERA in 2024 is the second-worst in his 10-year MLB career, and the Cardinals still have one more year of him.

2. Dansby Swanson (Seven years, $177 million)

Dansby Swanson has the second-highest annual salary on the Cubs roster this season ($26 million), trailing only Cody Bellinger's $27.5 million; in fact, the only reason Swanson's contract made this ranking over Bellinger's is because of length.

Swanson signed with Chicago as a free agent fresh off an All-Star, Gold Glove-winning 2022 campaign, and just one season removed from a World Series title with the Atlanta Braves. He had a strong first season with Chicago, earning a second consecutive All-Star nod and Gold Glove award, but he hasn't looked like his old self in 2024. It's still early in his contract, but $26 million feels like a lot for a sub-.250 hitter – especially if you're stuck with him for five more years after this one.

1. Christian Yelich (Nine years, $215 million)

When it comes to bad NL Central contracts, Milwaukee outfielder Christian Yelich wins by a landslide. Four years after signing a massive, nine-year, $215 million deal with the Brewers, Yelich looks like a shell of the player he once was.

It's not that Yelich isn't a productive player; he's easily the Brewers' best hitter when he's healthy. But he just can't seem to stay healthy, which is affecting his productivity over time. Like Hayes, he has a chronically bad back, as well as a history of knee injuries, which doesn't bode well for his longevity on a nine-year contract. He's signed through his age-37 season in 2029, so the Brewers may need to wrap him in bubble wrap if he's going to make it that far.

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