With the MLB season winding down, it is clear to see the best and worst MLB contracts given out this past offseason. Some of these deals already look like huge steals, and others are on disastrous trajectories. This offseason was eventful, with quite a few nine-figure deals given out. Some have fueled MVP and Cy Young-caliber seasons, while others have actively hindered teams from getting to the playoffs.
Blockbuster signings, however, are not the only way to greatly improve a franchise. Many teams have found excellent value on short-term, low-cost players who greatly exceeded expectations. The franchises that are good year in and year out are the ones that consistently find talent in the margins. With that said, here’s a breakdown of the best and worst contracts given out this past offseason.
Best MLB Contracts: SP Dylan Cease Signs Massive 7-Year, $210 Million Deal With The Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays season has been nothing short of a disappointment. They followed their World Series appearance with a season where they most likely miss the playoffs, but their big offseason splash was a massive hit. Cease has been everything the team wanted. He is currently the runner-up favorite in AL Cy-Young voting, posting a 2.40 ERA and an AL-leading 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings. Cease leads the team in WAR with 5.7 and has been the main reason why they’ve had any sort of chance to make the playoffs.
This contract got a lot of pushback when it was signed due to Cease’s ERA being higher than normal in 2025 (4.55). Toronto did not care about this and chose to focus on his league-leading strikeouts-per-nine rate, believing that the ERA would stabilize the following season. This proved to be a great move. Cease looks to be their ace for the foreseeable future, as they hope to get back on track next season and compete for a World Series.
Worst MLB Contracts: Los Angeles Dodgers Sign RP Edwin Diaz to 3-Year, $69 Million Deal
The Dodgers are still the favorites to win it all heading into the postseason, but the signing of Edwin Diaz has not helped out at all. In 18 appearances, Diaz has an ERA of 10.84 and a WAR of -1.1. His ERA is the highest in the entire league for relief pitchers who have thrown at least 15 innings.
This contract looks disastrous for the Dodgers. Diaz missed about 3 months after loose pieces of bone and cartilage were removed from his elbow. Since his return, he has not looked good at all. His struggles got so bad that even in his rehab Triple-A starts, he had an underwhelming 12.00 ERA in 8 games.
As of now, Diaz is not a lock to make the postseason roster, which would have been incredibly shocking to hear at the beginning of the season. Hopefully, for Los Angeles, this is a case of him not being fully healthy, and he can bounce back next season.
Best: San Diego Padres Sign 1B Ty France to 1-Year, $1.35 Million Deal
Simply put, without Ty France, this team would not be in the playoffs. When it seemed like everybody in the lineup was struggling in the middle of the season, France was able to keep the team afloat.
For the first two months of the season, Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill were all cold. These were supposed to be the team’s best hitters, but they all simultaneously had WRC+’s under 100, meaning they were below average. France had an OPS of .876 and a WRC of 141. Without him being able to steady the lineup at the beginning of the season, this team might’ve fallen into a hole they couldn’t get out of.
France didn’t just produce at the start of the season, he was able to maintain that production throughout the entire year. Out of all the players with huge eight-nine figure contracts on the Padres, France, who is only making just above a million dollars, has been the most valuable player in terms of WAR (4.8). He also has the best OPS (.885) on the team and is 7th in the entire league in batting average (.301). His contract was definitely the best value deal this offseason and is a huge reason why the Padres are in the playoffs this season.
Worst: New York Mets Sign 1B Jorge Polanco to 2-Year, $40 Million Deal
Even in an offseason with a plethora of disastrous moves for the Mets, the signing of Polanco stands out as the clear worst. He was injured most of the year, and when he played, he was one of the worst players in the league. Out of 417 players with at least 145 plate appearances, Polanco was last in WAR (-1.4), 2nd worst in WRC+ (20), and 4th worst in batting average (.148).
This contract raised some question marks when it was signed due to Polanco’s long history of injury concerns. In 10 full seasons, he has only played over 130 games 3 times. This past year was one of his best, but the decision to give such an injury-prone player a two-year deal was questionable. This is definitely a contract that the Mets regret giving out.
