Albert Pujols — Angels 10-Year/$240M Deal

Albert Pujols’ 10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels is the costliest free-agent gamble ever. After averaging 40 home runs in St. Louis, he hit just 23 per season in Anaheim and posted an OPS+ of 101 — barely league average. His $24 million annual salary is 80% higher than the typical DH’s pay, yet he produced only 6.5 WAR over the entire contract, compared to the 50+ WAR expected from a franchise cornerstone. By age 41, his replacement-level output made him 35% less productive than even the cheapest first baseman.