Worst Free Agent Contracts in Pittsburgh Pirates History

#2, Lonnie Chisenhall, 1-year $2.75

Lonnie Chisenhall was a free-agent outfielder brought in from Cleveland. He signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as announced by the team on November 26, 2018. The signing was made to provide an experienced, productive, and versatile player to the team. Also, he would be considered a potential option in right field while Gregory Polanco recovered from an injury.

Chisenhall's contract also included incentives, which could amount to a potential $3 million boost if he reached certain plate appearance milestones. However, given his past performance and the likelihood of him receiving platoon duty, it was unlikely that Chisenhall would maximize his contract. No one expected what would occur.

Chisenhall would break his hand/finger in Spring Training of 2019. He would miss a couple of months due to it before getting back to game action. However, the game action was at Triple-A Indianapolis, not the Big League Club. Chisenhall would quickly land back on the injury list, with his hamstring nagging him once more. The possibility of outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall playing for the Pirates that season was dismissed by the team. Chisenhall remained at home in Bradenton, Fla., mending from left calf troubles, and there wasn't enough time for him to return to the majors that year.

This would be the end for Chisenhall with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He would leave the team and rehab at home with his family. This of course led to him retiring at the end of the year. Not a single game played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and earned almost $3 million for the year. A wasted investment and one that fans were actually optimistic about.