Worst Free Agent Contracts in Pittsburgh Pirates History

#9, Ramon Vasquez, 2 years $4 million

It is almost comical to see how many of these players never played in the Major Leagues after their time with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ramon Vasquez is in the same boat. The Bucs brought him in during the 2009 offseason, and he did not hit nearly as well as they had hoped.

Ramon Vazquez played for the Texas Rangers during the 2008 Major League Baseball season. He was mainly used as a bench piece He was primarily used as a backup infielder, playing second base, third base, and shortstop as needed.

In 2008, Vazquez appeared in 104 games for the Rangers, hitting .290 with four home runs and 40 runs batted in. He also had a solid on-base percentage of .365 and a slugging percentage of .430. Vazquez played solid defense at all three positions he was asked to play, committing just five errors in 167 total chances.

So it seemed like a really solid pickup when the Bucs gave him a contract. Ramon Vazquez played for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2009 Major League Baseball season as a utility infielder. He appeared in 91 games, hitting .230 with three home runs and 27 runs batted in.

Vazquez played solid defense at second base, third base, and shortstop, committing just six errors in 313 total chances. While he didn't put up as strong offensive numbers as he did in 2008, Vazquez still provided depth and a veteran presence to the young Pirates team. All in all, it was a waste of another free-agent contract. The Bucs would be on the hook for the 2nd year of his deal as well.