Worst Free Agent Contracts in Pittsburgh Pirates History

#11 Lyle Overbay, 1 year deal worth $5 million

It was another notable name that the Pittsburgh Pirates brought in to play first base. The team historically has struggled to find a productive first baseman, especially in more recent times. Lyle Overbay was a proven player at this point, so many thought he would be a good addition to the team plus a tradable asset.

During the 2011 season with the Pirates, Overbay played in 121 games and had 432 plate appearances. He had a batting average of .234, an on-base percentage of .310, and a slugging percentage of .438. He hit 35 doubles, 1 triple, and 18 home runs while driving in 59 runs and scoring 52 runs himself. Defensively, Overbay played primarily at first base for the Pirates, where he had a fielding percentage of .996 and committed only four errors in 1,076 total chances.

Overall, Overbay's 2011 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates was one of the worst seasons of his career. Many expected him to provide solid contributions both offensively and defensively to a Pirates team. Instead, the team released him outright in August of that year, paying him his complete contract. If not for Garret Jones breaking out, Overbay would have likely finished the year with the Bucs. The Pittsburgh Pirates finished with a record of 72-90, good for fourth place in the National League Central division. Lyle Overbay would take on the nickname of Lyle "Overpaid" during his final stretch with the Pirates. A nickname well warranted after a disaster of a season.