So this season, it's been blatantly obvious that the Prince Fielder deal could be a bad one, and while there's still time for him to prove otherwise.
But Fielder might not have the only albatross contract in the Texas Rangers' clubhouse as his off-season acquisition mate Shin-Soo Choo has fallen flat in a horrible tailspin since the first month and a half of the season.
Choo's average has fallen all the way to .235 with a .344 on-base percentage, both significant dips from his 2013 numbers in a contract season with the Cincinnati Reds. He has nine home runs and 35 RBIs. And he's still owed $116 million after this season and won't be free until after the 2020 season, the same year Fielder's contract expires.
He's no spring chicken, either, at age 32, and he's been battling elbow and ankle injuries all season, which have clearly hampered him. That's one saving grace for a guy who's massively underperformed expectations since a standout April, in which his average was in the .350 range and his on-base was approaching .500.
There have been many times this season when it's been obvious Choo is just not feeling right and he should probably be on the disabled list with the rest of the Rangers' 40-man roster, but his pride has prohibited that.
"As a human, it's natural. We are all human. I want to be worth it," he told the Star-Telegram. "I want to make the team happy, and especially the fans. From the start of spring training, my elbow has not been healthy and then I tell myself, 'I am not going to leave this team or this clubhouse.'"
Hopefully 2014 can just be a lost, forgotten season for both Fielder and Choo, because if it is instead a trend, the Rangers are in some serious trouble, and for a long time.
