Where MLB Teams are Wasting Money - Highest-Paid Benchwarmers

Highest-Paid MLB Benchwarmers - Where MLB Teams are Wasting the Most Money in 2017

This article will make you angry.

When you learn how much some of these ballplayers are getting paid, and how poorly their performing, you'll blood will boil. If we were doing our jobs as bad as these Boys of Summer, we'd be fired.

Below, we've listed each team's salary, where their salary ranks, and their highest paid player for 2017. We've also listed their most overpaid batter (everyday player) and overpaid pitcher (starter or reliever) as well as each team's best-paid benchwarmer (position players only).

There are many ways to judge batters and pitchers. We choose batting average and earned run average.

We believe that if you're making seven or eight figures, your batting average should be above .260 and your ERA below 4.50.

For example, Anthony Rizzo leads the Chicago Cubs in home runs but his batting average is .227. When you're making more than $7 million you shouldn't be that close to the Mendoza Line.

We also believe you need to play. Some batters and pitchers were selected because they're getting paid a fortune but are stuck on the disabled list.

For example, New York Mets slugger David Wright is getting paid $20 million and hasn't played in over a year.

The “best-paid benchwarmer” category isn't necessarily highlighting an underperforming position player. It is, however, highlighting players who aren't normally in the lineup, but do receive a lot of money.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Jhonny Peralta sits more than he plays. Despite that, he'll still take home $10 million this season.

There's not much science or number crunching behind our selection. We just looked at statistics and salaries (and sometimes the disabled list) and picked a player we think is grossly overcharging his employers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the league's highest team salary at $245,982,272. The Dodgers also have the league's highest paid player. Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw will make $35,571,428 this season.

The top candidate for overpaid batter is Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon. He's making $16 million and batting .175.

Finalist for overpaid pitcher is the Philadelphia Phillies Clay Buchholz. He's earning $13.5 million, has a 12.27 ERA, and is on the 60-day disabled list.

Did we miss an overpaid player? Sure. Will you disagree with some of our selections? Probably.

Unfortunately, for every Aaron Judge (.326 and 17 homers making $544,500) and Brad Peacock (2.13 ERA and 0.987 WHIP making $541,500) there are half-a-dozen players cashing checks they're not earning.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Team Salary: $94,711,556 (26th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Zack Greinke, $34 million

Overpaid Batter
Jeff Mathis
$2 million
Batting average .181

Overpaid Pitcher
Fernando Rodney
$2.75 million
7.13 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Daniel Descalso
$1.35 million

Atlanta Braves
Team Salary: $116,382,273 (16th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Matt Kemp, $21.5 million

Overpaid Batter
Dansby Swanson
$540,000
Batting average .201

Overpaid Pitcher
Bartolo Colon
$12.5 million
6.96 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Matt Adams
$2.8 million

Baltimore Orioles
Team Salary: $164,111,753 (10th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Chris Davis, $21,118,782

Overpaid Batter
J.J. Hardy
$14 million
Batting average .217

Overpaid Pitcher
Ubaldo Jimenez
$13.5 million
6.66 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Hyun Soo Kim
$4.2 million

Boston Red Sox
Team Salary: $201,819,709 (3rd highest)
Highest Paid Player: David Price, $30 million

Overpaid Batter
Jackie Bradley
$3.6 million
Batting average .207

Overpaid Pitcher
David Price
$30 million
5.40 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Brock Holt
$1.95 million

Chicago Cubs
Team Salary: $172,190,146 (8th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Jason Heyward, $28,166,666

Overpaid Batter
Anthony Rizzo
$7,285,714
Batting average .227

Overpaid Pitcher
Brett Anderson
$3.5 million
8.18 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Miguel Montero
$14 million

Chicago White Sox
Team Salary: $101,779,516 (23rd highest)
Highest Paid Player: James Shields, $21 million

Overpaid Batter
Todd Frazier
$12 million
Batting average .184

Overpaid Pitcher
Jose Quintana
$7 million
5.60 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Kevan Smith
$535,000

Cincinnati Reds
Team Salary: $95,643,686 (25th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Joey Votto, $22 million

Overpaid Batter
Billy Hamilton
$2.625 million
Batting average .255

Overpaid Pitcher
Homer Bailey
$19 million
Pitched 34 innings over the past two seasons.

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Devin Mesoraco
$7.325 million

Cleveland Indians
Team Salary: $125,469,171 (17th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Edwin Encarnacion, $14,666,666

Overpaid Batter
Edwin Encarnacion
$14,666,666
Batting average .232

Overpaid Pitcher
Trevor Bauer
$3.55 million
6.00 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Austin Jackson
$1.5 million

Colorado Rockies
Team Salary: $131,791,871 (16th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Carlos Gonzalez, $20,428,571

Overpaid Batter
Carlos Gonzalez
$20,428,571
Batting average .237

Overpaid Pitcher
Tyler Chatwood
$4.4 million
5.04 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Ian Desmond
$8 million

Detroit Tigers
Team Salary: $201,496,375 (4th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Miguel Cabrera, $28 million

Overpaid Batter
Ian Kinsler
$11 million
Batting average .239

Overpaid Pitcher
Jordan Zimmermann
$18 million
6.47 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Alex Avila
$2 million

Houston Astros
Team Salary: $125,305,524 (18th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Brian McCann, $17 million

Overpaid Batter
Carlos Beltran
$16 million
Batting average .247

Overpaid Pitcher
Luke Gregerson
$6.25 million
5.66 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Norichika Aoki
$5.5 million

Kansas City Royals
Team Salary: $143,338,455 (15th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Alex Gordon, $16 million

Overpaid Batter
Alex Gordon
$16 million
Batting average .175

Overpaid Pitcher
Ian Kennedy
$13.5 million
5.12 ERA (no wins and five loses in first nine starts)

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Jorge Soler
$3 million

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Team Salary: $162,720,946 (11th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Albert Pujols, $26 million

Overpaid Batter
Albert Pujols
$26 million
Batting average .254

Overpaid Pitcher
Ricky Nolasco
$12 million
5.07 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Luis Valbuena
$6.5 million

Los Angeles Dodgers
Team Salary: $245,982,272 (Highest)
Highest Paid Player: Clayton Kershaw, $35,571,428

Overpaid Batter
Andre Ethier
$17.5 million
Out with injury, has not played all season

Overpaid Pitcher
Scott Kazmir
$17,666,666
Out with injury, has not pitched all season

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Logan Forsythe
$7 million

Miami Marlins
Team Salary: $113,558,273 (20th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Giancarlo Stanton, $14.5 million

Overpaid Batter
Derek Dietrich
$1.7 million
Batting average .219

Overpaid Pitcher
Edinson Volquez
$9 million
4.44 ERA (7 losses in first 10 starts)

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
A.J. Ellis
$2.5 million

Milwaukee Brewers
Team Salary: $61,080,781 (30th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Ryan Braun, $20 million

Overpaid Batter
Jonathan Villar
$554,500
Batting average .211

Overpaid Pitcher
Neftali Feliz
$5.35 million
5.09 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Hernan Perez
$545,700

Minnesota Twins
Team Salary: $108,535,718 (22nd highest)
Highest Paid Player: Joe Mauer, $23 million

Overpaid Batter
Jason Castro
$8.5 million
Batting average .214

Overpaid Pitcher
Phil Hughes
$13.2 million
5.74 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Eduardo Escobar
$2.6 million

New York Mets
Team Salary: $155,844,229 (13th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Yoenis Cespedes, $22.5 million

Overpaid Batter
David Wright
$20 million
Hasn't played in more than a year.

Overpaid Pitcher
Tom Milone
$1.25 million
10.50 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Juan Lagares
$4.5 million

New York Yankees
Team Salary: $202,388,255 (2nd highest)
Highest Paid Player: C.C. Sabathia, $25 million

Overpaid Batter
Chase Headley
$13 million
Batting average .228

Overpaid Pitcher
Masahiro Tanaka
$22 million
5.86 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Ronald Torreyes
$561,900

Oakland Athletics
Team Salary: $83,127,267 (27th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Ryan Madson, $7,666,666

Overpaid Batter
Matthew Joyce
$5 million
Batting average .191

Overpaid Pitcher
John Axford
$5.5 million
8.31 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Marcus Semien
$545,000

Philadelphia Phillies
Team Salary: $112,857,371 (21st highest)
Highest Paid Player: Jeremy Hellickson, $17.2 million

Overpaid Batter
Michael Saunders
$8 million
Batting average .226

Overpaid Pitcher
Clay Buchholz
$13.5 million
12.27 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Andres Blanco
$3 million

Pittsburgh Pirates
Team Salary: $99,904,304 (21st highest)
Highest Paid Player: Andrew McCutchen, $14,208,333

Overpaid Batter
Andrew McCutchen
$14,208,333
Batting average .223

Overpaid Pitcher
Daniel Hudson
$5.5 million
6.04 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Chris Stewart
$1.4 million

San Diego Padres
Team Salary: $73,362,096 (28th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Wil Myers, $4.5 million

Overpaid Batter
Erick Aybar
$1.75 million
Batting average .196

Overpaid Pitcher
Jered Weaver
$3 million
7.44 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Chase d'Arnaud
$600,000

San Francisco Giants
Team Salary: $177,798,775 (7th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Johnny Cueto, $23.5 million

Overpaid Batter
Hunter Pence
$18.5 million
Batting average .243

Overpaid Pitcher
Matt Moore
$7 million
4.98 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Aaron Hill
$2 million

Seattle Mariners
Team Salary: $155,661,162 (13th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Felix Hernandez, $26,857,142

Overpaid Batter
Jarrod Dyson
$2.8 million
Batting average .217

Overpaid Pitcher
Yovani Gallardo
$11 million
5.76 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Carlos Ruiz
$4.5 million

St. Louis Cardinals
Team Salary: $147,630,295 (14th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Adam Wainwright, $19.5 million

Overpaid Batter
Dexter Fowler
$16.5 million
Batting average .228

Overpaid Pitcher
Matthew Bowman
$546,600
5.32 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Jhonny Peralta
$10 million

Tampa Bay Rays
Team Salary: $71,323,045 (29th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Evan Longoria, $13.167 million

Overpaid Batter
Brad Miller
$3.575 million
Batting average .205

Overpaid Pitcher
Jumbo Diaz
$557,500
5.49 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Jesus Sucre
$630,000

Texas Rangers
Team Salary: $178,751,712 (6th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Cole Hamels, $22.5 million

Overpaid Batter
Mike Napoli
$6 million
Batting average .197

Overpaid Pitcher
Sam Dyson
$3.52 million
10.80 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Robinson Chirinos
$1.9 million

Toronto Blue Jays
Team Salary: $182,107,186 (5th highest)
Highest Paid Players: Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin, $20 million

Overpaid Batter
Russell Martin
$20 million
Batting average .218

Overpaid Pitcher
Francisco Liriano
$13,666,668
6.35 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Darwin Barney
$2,887,500

Washington Nationals
Team Salary: $170,465,059 (9th highest)
Highest Paid Player: Max Scherzer, $22,142,857

Overpaid Batter
Trea Turner
$554,900
Batting average .256

Overpaid Pitcher
Joe Blanton
$4 million
9.49 ERA

Best-Paid Benchwarmer
Stephen Drew
$3.5 million

Salaries provided by Spotrac.
Statistics provided by Baseball Reference.
Statistics accurate as 5-31-2017.