Cardinals: Re-ranking the worst contracts in the NL Central

Paul DeJong #11 of the St. Louis Cardinals on deck (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Paul DeJong #11 of the St. Louis Cardinals on deck (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The NL Central has a lot of bad contracts, but which 10 are the most egregious in the Cardinals’ division right now?

The St. Louis Cardinals are currently on top of the NL Central and are facing very little competition with the recent fall from grace of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates are in the midst of long rebuild, and are a long way away from contending.

Outside of the Pirates, each of the teams in the NL Central have bad contracts on their roster. Some of these have came in the form of extensions, while others have been swings and misses on the free agent market. What are the 10 worst deals in the division? Our own Greg Simons made a ranking earlier this season, but there have been a lot of shake ups amongst the top 10.

These contracts are ranked on how bad the deals are for this season and beyond, not previous value. These 10 contracts are deals that have not panned out this season or may prevent these teams from going after big names in the future.

10. Mike Minor

The first name on this, Mike Minor is a veteran starter who is expected to provide quality innings at the back of a rotation, and no one expects him to be a top player on their staff. Unfortunately for the Reds, Minor has looked overmatched all season.

Acquired in a trade for Amir Garret prior to the season, Minor is 3-10 with a 5.98 ERA in 16 games so far in 2022. His FIP indicates that his ERA is an accurate reflection of his talent this year, sitting a 5.97 as well. Minor is making $10 million for Cincinnati this year and has a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buy out. It’s safe to say the Reds will exercise that buyout after the season.

Rebuilding teams will take chances on veterans with bigger contracts in hopes of them overachieving and then being able to flip them for prospects. The Reds missed on this one, making him the 10th worst contract in the division.