10 Worst Free Agent Signings in Sports History

After a professional player's contract with a team expires, he becomes a free agent who can listen to offers from any team. Free agent signings give teams a chance to add a valuable player, excite their fan base and change the look of their roster. In some cases, free agent signings don't work as expected and the money spent looks foolish in retrospect.

  1. Dana Stubblefield

    • NFL defensive star Dana Stubblefield set a career mark for sacks with 15 in 1997 with the San Francisco 49ers. The Washington Redskins needed defensive help and gave Stubblefield a six-year contract for $36 million, only to have him accumulate a mere seven sacks over three seasons and only play 38 of the team's 48 games.

    Chan Ho Park

    • Starting pitcher Chan Ho Park was given a five-year, $65 million contract by the Texas Rangers after his career-best season in 2001. Park's performance declined quickly, as he won only 22 games in nearly four seasons with the Rangers, only four more than he won in the 2000 season alone.

    Barry Zito

    • Left-handed pitcher Barry Zito won a Cy Young award in 2002 for being considered the best pitcher in the league while playing with the Oakland Athletics. The San Francisco Giants signed him to a seven-year contract worth $126 million after the 2006 season. Zito quickly lost speed on his fastball and was not even put on the Giants' roster for the 2010 playoffs.

    Jim McIlvaine

    • Jim McIlvaine was a 7-foot-1-inch center who didn't get much playing time at the start of his career with the Washington Bullets. The Seattle Sonics thought he would develop if given a chance and signed him to a five-year, $35 million contract. McIllvaine's scoring average never reached four points per game, and he retired at age 28.

    Dale Carter

    • Dale Carter was a speedy defensive back who caught seven interceptions and recovered seven fumbles in his first season. After the Denver Broncos signed Carter to a contract worth $22.8 million over four seasons, he made only two interceptions and was removed from the NFL for a year after failing a drug test.

    Mike Hampton

    • Starting pitcher Mike Hampton enjoyed success with the Houston Astros and New York Mets before the Colorado Rockies gave him an eight-year contract worth $121 million. Playing in the increased altitude of Colorado, Hampton saw his earned run average rise from 3.14 in 2000 to 5.41 in 2001.

    Gary Matthews, Jr.

    • The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim gave outfielder Gary Matthews, Jr. a five-year, $50 million contract after the best season of his career in 2006. Matthews' batting average dropped 60 points in his first year with the Angels and he was later traded to the Mets.

    Vin Baker

    • Forward Vin Baker started off his career well with the Milwaukee Bucks before being traded to the Seattle Sonics. The Sonics signed Baker to a seven-year contract for $86 million and Baker began to decline as he struggled with alcohol problems. After averaging more than 19 points per game three times with the Bucks, he never exceeded 16.6 per game with the Sonics.

    Andre Rison

    • Andre Rison was a wide receiver known for his talent and off-field problems. Rison became the highest paid receiver in the NFL when the Cleveland Browns gave him $17 million over five seasons in 1994. Rison caught only 47 passes in his first season with the Browns after catching more than 80 per season five years running.

    Allan Houston

    • After increasing his points per game in each of his first three seasons, the New York Knicks signed guard Allan Houston to a six-year contract worth $100 million. Houston never rose to stardom as the Knicks thought he would and he retired at age 33.