The Most Overpaid Baseball Players for the 2006 Season

These are the Major League leaders in earnings for the least, or worst, amount of work in 2006. Some of these contracts are just impossible to fathom, while others have more to do with injuries. I did not go below $8 million in salary ($7.75 million actually).

Jeff Bagwell (Astros) - collected $19.3 million in salary , without recording a single stat for the year.

Mike Hampton (Braves) - didn't throw one pitch all year and collected $14.5 million in salary.

Chan Ho Park (Padres) - went 7-7 with a 4.81 ERA, while "earning" $15.3 million. Arguably worst free agent contract in history is finally over.

Bartolo Colon (Angels) - 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA in 56 innings, while earning a cool $14 million in salary.

Hideki Matsui (Yankees) - just 172 at bats on the year, while earning a $13 million salary.

Kerry Wood (Cubs) - earned $12 million in salary for going 1-2 in 4 starts, with a 4.12 ERA.

Mike Sweeney (Royals) - 217 at bats, with a .258 average, and a .438 SLG, while earning $11 million in salary.

Gary Sheffield (Yankees) - earned $10.8 million in salary for playing in just 39 games all year, and
stunk it up in the playoffs too.

Eric Gagne (Dodgers) - pitched in a grand total of 2 games while earning a $10 million salary.

Ryan Klesko (Padres) - earned $9 million in salary for 4 totals at bats.

Matt Clement (Red Sox) - went just 5-5, with a 6.61 ERA in 65 innings, while earning $9.8 million in salary.

Russ Ortiz (Arizona/Orioles) - managed to go 0-8, with a 8.14 ERA, while earning a $7.9 million salary.

Derek Lee (Cubs) - after parlaying a career year in 2005 into a big contract, he batted just 175 times last year while earning a cool $9.4 million in salary.

Eric Milton (Reds) - 8-8 with a 5.19 ERA in 152 innings, while earning a $9.8 million salary.

Dmitri Young (Tigers) - before getting released, he batted 172 times with a .250 average, and earned $8 million in salary last year.

Odalis Perez (Dodgers/Royals) - went 6-8 with a 6.20 ERA, and earned $8.75 million in salary.

Carl Pavano (Yankees) - never threw one pitch and earned $8 million in salary. Third New York Yankee on the list.

Edguardo Alfonso (Released) - made $8 million in salary for doing nothing last year.