ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JUNE 21: Anthony DeScLafani #26 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 21, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants are in the unenviable position of playing in the NL West. Which three players are stealing money from the team because of bad contracts?
Sometimes, major league clubs get the good fortune of signing players to what is oftentimes deemed as a “team-friendly” deal. Typically, those types of contracts offer the team the most bang for the buck.
Unfortunately, there’s the other end of the spectrum. When a player underperforms what’s expected but still hauls in a whale of a payday, that’s usually called an albatross of a contract. The San Francisco Giants have a few of those deals to contend with in 2023.
Let’s look at three Giants who, because of a bad contract, are essentially stealing money from the team.
3. Anthony DeSclafani is stealing money from the SF Giants due to a bad contract
Now, for as badly as Anthony DeSclafani has played, the San Francisco Giants cannot be fully absolved of this deal. DeSclafani has an injury-riddled past and the Giants whiffed by giving Disco a multi-year contract.
DeSclafani was signed to a three-year/$36M contract after a successful 2021 season with the Giants. DeSclafani had been a talented pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization for years, but a string of injuries kept the right-hander from ever reaching his full potential.
DeSclafani finally put together a healthy campaign by going 13-7 and posting a career-best 3.17 ERA. DeSclafani’s 167 innings pitched were also the most he’d thrown since 2015. That alone should have given the San Francisco front office cause to pause.
Anthony DeSclafani made only five starts for the Giants in 2022 before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery. DeSclafani will enter spring training with $24M remaining on his deal. If the right-hander can’t put together a better season than a year ago (0-2 6.63 ERA), then the Giants have a major problem on their hands.