Los Angeles Angels: Zack Cozart is in an exclusive terrible contract group

The Los Angeles Angels have not been afraid to spend money in recent years but often times, what the team spends its money on is not very wise.

The Los Angeles Angels have been no strangers to spending money in the past, a strategy that has hurt the team and has led to the franchise not winning a playoff game since 2009. The front office tried to change that narrative this previous offseason by only signing one-year deals, but even those contracts haven’t worked out.

However, those contracts at least will not have long-term repercussions and the Angels can do back to the drawing board after this season. It is the contracts that have long-term repercussions that really hurt the salary cap and the team’s situation.

The year prior, the Angels made yet another terrible signing, at least in hindsight, that has not led to anything positive. It might not have the length or the inflated salary as the other terrible contracts, but Zack Cozart‘s three-year, $38 million contract has looked atrocious.

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Cozart hit the IL yet again on Tuesday due to inflammation in his left shoulder, the same shoulder that he had surgery on last year that cut his season short.

The funny thing is that the Angels will probably get better with somebody else on the 25-man roster as Cozart has been awful as a Halo. Cozart has already lost his job as an everyday starter as the infielder is hitting a lowly .124 with a .322 OPS.

He has the worst OPS of any Major League hitter with at least 100 plate appearances this season. The second worst has an OPS that is still 106 points higher than Cozart’s. He hasn’t just struggled, he has been the worst offensive player in baseball this year.

It isn’t just this season either as Cozart was not great in 2019. In 58 games played prior to being shut down, Cozart hit .219 with a .658 OPS, which suddenly looks amazing compared to his 2019 totals.

Only four batters with at least 300 plate appearances the last two seasons have a worse OPS than Cozart. Seven have a worse batting average.

So while his contract might not be massive, it does join an exclusive group of terrible contracts that the Los Angeles Angels have signed. That group?

Aelbert Pujols — 12 years, $240 million

At least Albert Pujols has not been absolutely terrible for the Angels as he does have one all-star appearance in the American League. However, Pujols has dropped significantly from his days in St. Louis and has been a shell of his former self for years.

This is a contract that is still hurting the Angels’ financial situation and will continue to hurt the Angels’ financial situation through the 2021 season. If the Angels do not win a playoff game until Pujols’ contract is up, his contract very well could be the reason why.

Josh Hamilton — 5 years, $125 million

Another awful contract that set the Los Angeles Angels back, Josh Hamilton did not do anything for the Halos. The one saving grace is that the contract was for only five years as it would not have been surprising if the Angels gave him a seven or eight-year deal.

Hamilton played just two seasons in Anaheim and hit fewer combined home runs than he did the year prior. He was out of the league two years prior to his contract ending as the Angels were paying him through the 2017 season.

Vernon Wells — 4 years, $86 million

This technically is not a contract that the Los Angeles Angels signed but it was one that the team knowingly traded for and only ended up biting the team in the butt. Los Angeles traded for Vernon Wells prior to the 2011 season with four years and $86 million left on his contract.

How did Wells do? He played a combined 208 games in two years, hit .222 with a .667 OPS. Wells was off the team two years prior to his contract ending and the Angels were paying Wells $18.6 million to not play in 2014. Yikes.

Cozart’s might not be as hefty as these as the Los Angeles Angels have at least learned their lesson but Cozart has been just as awful. It is safe to say that the team is not a smart spender.