Dodgers five worst signings this decade

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LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 27: Brandon McCarthy #38 of the Los Angeles Dodgers cools off in the dugout after the first inning of the game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium on May 27, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

2) Brandon McCarthy

4-years, $48 million

This deal was troublesome from the start. While the Dodgers tried to protect themselves against the risk associated with signing a pitcher known more for his injuries than success on the mound, the results proved to be worth less than the guaranteed money in his contract.

McCarthy made four starts to begin his first season with the Dodgers, amazingly winning three of them, after serving up nine, yes, nine home runs over 23 innings, ballooning his ERA to 5.87. Without escaping the month of April, he was placed on the disabled list for soreness in his right elbow which turned into season-ending Tommy John surgery.

The warning signs were there for the Dodgers. McCarthy spent the entirety of his career battling injuries, including a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the entire 2010 season. His first 200-inning season coming, coincidentally, the year before the Dodgers signed him. After the Yankees acquired him in a mid-season deal the season before the Dodgers signed him, he pitched well, winning seven games with an impressive 2.89 ERA while pitching in the American League East.

The genesis of the signing can be traced back to Oakland, where the new Dodgers general manager, Farhan Zaidi, had helped resurrect McCarthy’s career after his injuries in Texas. No luck a second time.

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