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Predicting the 3 worst contracts of the MLB offseason

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Major League Baseball's offseason is already off to a raging start with the Houston Astros making the most noise, trading for catcher Brian McCann and agreeing to terms on a four-year, $52-million deal with outfielder Josh Reddick.

While the offseason is still young, it hasn't taken long for teams such as the Astros and St. Louis Cardinals - four-year, $30.5-million contract with Brett Cecil - to overpay players in order to secure their services on multi-year deals.

With the market thin and teams with needs, the trend of spending too much money is likely to continue. Here are three players who could take the most advantage and become rich(er) in the process.

Aroldis Chapman, RP

Projected contract: 5 years, $90 million

Aroldis Chapman is arguably the best closer in baseball, and after helping the Chicago Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years, the 28-year-old is looking to cash in big during his first turn in free agency. The Cuban fireballer is reportedly seeking $100-million or more, and while there are suitors in need of a closer, Chapman has competition on the market from fellow ninth-inning finishers Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon.

PLAYER IP SV SVO ERA SO WAR
Chapman 58 36 39 1.55 90 2.7
Jansen 68.2 47 53 1.83 104 3.2
Melancon 71.1 47 51 1.64 65 1.8

It's doubtful Chapman will be able to secure the $100 million he's looking for with so much competition, as well as having a domestic violence suspension attached to his resume, but the hardest throwing pitcher in baseball should be able to supplant Jonathan Papelbon - four years, $50 million with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011 - as the owner of the richest contract in baseball history signed by a closer.

Rich Hill, SP

Projected contract: 3 years, $48 million

The free-agent market for starting pitching is one of the worst in recent memory, which could end up paying huge dividends for 36-year-old left-hander Rich Hill. The curveball specialist is one of the top arms available, and despite only tossing 110 1/3 innings last season, he will up with a multi-year deal after posting a 12-5 record with a 2.12 ERA, which included a 1.83 mark after he was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline. If Charlie Morton can secure a two-year, $14-million deal laced with incentives, Hill - who over the past two seasons has been dominant in a small sample size - surely can do better.

PAST TWO SEASONS

SEASON GS IP ERA WHIP
2015 4 29 1.55 0.66
2016 20 110.1 2.12 0.99

Hill's competition on the open market includes fellow lefties Brett Anderson and Travis Wood, as well as veterans Ivan Nova, Jason Hammel, Edinson Volquez, and Doug Fister.

Mark Trumbo, OF

Projected contract: 4 years, $70 million

No one in baseball hit more home runs than Mark Trumbo last season, who led MLB with 47, while posting the highest OPS (.850) of his career, and despite striking out in more than a quarter of his at-bats and barely walking, he'll get paid thanks to his incredible power output.

HR RBI SLG ISO K% BB%
47 108 .533 .277 25.5 7.6

Trumbo's power didn't decline much while he played away from the hitter-friendly confines of Camden Yards either, although he did struggle to get on-base when he was on the road, falling short of the .300 mark.

Split AB HR RBI 2B OBP SLG
Home 291 25 50 9 .334 .550
Away 322 22 58 18 .299 .519

The 30-year-old is better suited as a DH after posting a minus-11 in defensive runs saved when playing the outfield last season, but teams in need of production will likely overlook Trumbo's poor defense if they have to play him in the field, like the Baltimore Orioles did in 2016.

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