There isn’t a more recognizable team in the United States than the New York Yankees. With tremendous history, 27 World Series titles and a culture of spending lots of money, it’s no wonder why wearing those darn pinstripes is so attractive to players. Unfortunately, just because the team tosses money at a player via draft, free agency or by trade doesn’t mean they knock all of them out of the park. And some of the biggest Yankees busts ever are listed for your enjoyment—after all, everyone hates the Yanks, right?
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15. Jaret Wright
With a tremendous, and unforeseen, 1997 playoff run that saw Jaret Wright go from unknown to starting Game 7 of the World Series for the Cleveland Indians, there were many around MLB who thought Wright had the goods to be a a No. 1 starter. Never able to establish himself, though, Wright found himself on the Yanks eight years later, signing a three-year, $21 million deal. In two years with the Bombers, Wright won 16 games and compiled an ERA of 4.99.
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14. Randy Johnson
One of the most accomplished pitchers of his generation, when the Yankees traded for then 41-year-old lefty Randy Johnson in 2005, they still believed he could be the dominant force he had proved to be over the course of his career. Signing a two-year extension for $57 million, the Big Unit had a pretty good 2005 season, going 17-11 with a 3.79 ERA. While that’s pretty solid, his postseason that year was pitiful, and, in 2006, Johnson went 17-11 with a 5.00 ERA, relying on a strong offense to pick up wins and cover up his deficiencies on the mound. For the $57 million he collected, the Yanks got 34 wins, 22 losses and a 4.40 ERA in 77 starts.
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13. Kenny Rogers
Many forget that former lefty pitcher Kenny Rogers actually pitched for the Yanks, but he did just that in the late-’90s, when the team signed him to a four-year, $20 million deal in 1996. Expecting the 17-game winner Rogers was in 1995, the Yanks were sorely disappointed. While Rogers did win a World Series in 1996 with the team, his playoff ERA that year was 14.14 and he failed to earn a postseason appearance in 1997 for that reason. Fed up, New York traded him in 1998, departing with a record of 18-15 and a 5.17 ERA in 52 starts in the Bronx.
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12. Danny Tartabull
Following a solid 1991 season, the Yanks took a chance on outfielder Danny Tartabull, who signed a five-year, $27 million which, at the time, made him the highest-paid player in the American League. After two great seasons, Tartabull combined for just 33 homers and 130 RBI in his third and fourth years in pinstripes, eventually getting traded to the Oakland Athletics after a feud with former owner George Steinbrenner evolved.
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11. Nick Johnson
For some reason, the Yanks were always enamored with first baseman Nick Johnson, who ended up playing four years total in the Bronx in two different stints. Never on to be involved in major trades due to their love affair, Johnson never blossomed into the player the team had hoped. In those four seasons in pinstripes, Johnson hit 33 homers, drove in 121 runs and hit just .249.
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10. Kei Igawa
Signing with the Yanks for five years and $20 million to be a key contributor out of the bullpen, lefty reliever Kei Igawa is best remembered for never panning out. In two years with the Yanks, he won just two games and finished with a combined 6.66 ERA, never playing in the majors again following the team releasing him after the 2008 season.
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9. Javier Vazquez
Needing pitching help, the Yanks traded for righty Javier Vazquez before the 2010 season—who had earned an All-Star bid for the team in 2004 in his first stint with them. Second in the NL in ERA in 2009 with the Atlanta Braves, Vazquez burned out hard in New York in 2010, though, going just 10-10 with a 5.32 ERA. A free-agent, the Yanks opted to let the guy walk away, even though they gave up three, young players and cash to get him less than a year prior.
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8. Kevin Brown
The first player in MLB history to receive a $100 million deal—which he did in 1999 with the L.A. Dodgers—pitcher Kevin Brown was looked at as a key addition when the Yanks got him in 2004. Sustaining a number of injuries, one of which he caused following a punch of a wall after leaving his manager’s office, Brown never blossomed into the reliable pitcher New York had hoped, ending his Yankees career with a paltry 14-13 record and 5.30 ERA in 35 starts.
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7. A.J. Burnett
Although A.J. Burnett had accomplished a lot during his MLB career up to the 2008 offseason, there weren’t many who believed that he was truly worthy of the five-year, $82.5 million deal the Yanks gave him. Expected to be the No. 2 pitcher behind fellow free-agent signing C.C. Sabathia, Burnett flopped mightily. Going 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA in three seasons, the righty was shipped to Pittsburgh after the 2011 season, leaving with nothing more than disappointment from his time in NYC.
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6. David Parrish
With talented bloodlines thanks to his dad playing in the majors, catcher David Parrish was hoped to be another talent the Yanks could add to their lineup, making the transition to fresh, new blood after the new millennium. Chosen 28th overall in 2000 and receiving a $1.42 million signing bonus, Parrish totaled just 38 homers in nine minor league seasons, retiring from baseball for good in 2008 without ever playing a game in the Bronx.
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5. Jose Contreras
After a strong performance agains the Baltimore Orioles in 1999 as a member of the Cuban national team, pitcher Jose Contreras became a hot commodity for major league teams everywhere. Unsurprisingly, he wound up with the Yankees, who paid him $32 million over four years in 2002. While he had a decent first season, his inconstancy led the team to trade him in 2004, leaving with an overall record of 15-7 and a 4.64 ERA—which were light-years away from the production New York thought they were getting from a prospective No. 2 starter.
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4. Hideki Irabu
Following in the footsteps of Hideo Nomo—who made the successful leap from Japanese baseball to the MLB a few years prior—the Yanks inked pitcher Hideki Irabu to a four-year, $12.8 million deal in 1997. While Irabu did win two World Series titles while in New York, he didn’t contribute much, winning just 29 regular season games before being traded following the ’99 season, with former Yanks owner George Steinbrenner famously calling him a, “fat toad,” on his way out the door.
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3. Carl Pavano
One could argue that pitcher Carl Pavano has a case to be No. 1 on this list, but I just couldn’t do that to him. Still, the righty pitcher still needs to be mentioned as a bust. Signing a four-year, $40 million deal with the Yanks before the 2005 season, Pavano just couldn’t stay healthy, bouncing between the mound and the disabled list a numbers of times and only winning nine games and compile a 5.00 ERA.
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2. Brien Taylor
Arguably the biggest bust in any draft’s history, when the Yanks selected lefty pitcher Brien Taylor with the No. 1 pick in 1991, many believed he would transform them and become an absolute ace. Everyone struck out on that one. After an injury caused him to lose velocity on his pitches, he never made it passed Double-A, becoming just one of three No. 1 picks to have never made the major leagues.
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1. Alex Rodriguez
Once considered to be the best player in MLB, Alex Rodriguez sure has crashed down hard in the past couple years, hasn’t he? While A-Rod was never adored like former Yanks shortstop Derek Jeter was, he tried to be—hard—with him appearing to give ingenue responses to reporters and seeming to never fully understand what it means to be a Yankee. While he produced following the 10-year, $275 million extension, his 162-game suspension in 2014 after PED usage and the $61 million left on his contract make him impossible for the team to release, trade or deal with everyday. At 39 years old, who knows what, if anything, he has left.
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