Best and worst Free Agent deals of all time?

[NorthWoods]

ESPN Article and ranking.

But - before you read it the Tigers score 1 in the top 25 - name that player.

They also have the 5th worst deal of all time - name that player?

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48370280/mlb-2026-free-agency-ranking-best-worst-free-agent-signings-ever-50th-anniversary

[Tiger337]

22 minutes ago, NorthWoods said:

ESPN Article and ranking.

But - before you read it the Tigers score 1 in the top 25 - name that player.

They also have the 5th worst deal of all time - name that player?

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48370280/mlb-2026-free-agency-ranking-best-worst-free-agent-signings-ever-50th-anniversary

Phillips and Zimmermann.  

[oblong]

I'll never forget the winter meetings when the Tiger signed Phillips.  It was right when ESPN got MLB and they covered it a lot more.  They were talking to Peter Gammons and he said the Tigers just signed him and to watch out for that, he's going to be a good player for them.  He was very high on it.  At that time I thought of Phillips as just a utility guy on the A's. Nothing special.

 

[Tiger337]

12 minutes ago, oblong said:

I'll never forget the winter meetings when the Tiger signed Phillips.  It was right when ESPN got MLB and they covered it a lot more.  They were talking to Peter Gammons and he said the Tigers just signed him and to watch out for that, he's going to be a good player for them.  He was very high on it.  At that time I thought of Phillips as just a utility guy on the A's. Nothing special.

 

I was at school living in a dorm with no tv and very poor radio reception.  I was talking to my father on the phone and he told me what Gammons had said about Phillips.  They also signed Moseby that same week.  I knew they would both starting for the Tigers, but I had no idea how good Phillips would be.

They also signed Fielder later in the off-season.  The next year they traded for Tettleton.  That was an amazing group of acquisitions in a short time.  Too bad they had no pitching.  

Edited 2 hours ago by Tiger337

[tiger2022]

Alex Cobb and Verlander?  Those two should be on the list.  At least Cobb didn't suck, he just cashed his checks.

[Tigermojo]

Should have signed Scherzer Mr. I. One of my biggest disappointments as a fan.

[NorthWoods]

50 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

Phillips and Zimmermann.  

I'll admit that Phillips never occured to me.   I'd have bet on Cecil.

 

[Tiger337]

9 minutes ago, NorthWoods said:

I'll admit that Phillips never occured to me.   I'd have bet on Cecil.

 

Phillips was overshadowed by Fielder, but Phillips was a better player.  After Fielder's first year with the Tigers, Bill James said he was overrated - just a big fat guy that hit homers and struck out a lot and he'd never repeat his 1990 season.  That made me angry at the time, but it turned out to be right. Tettleton was better too (although not a free agent)  

Edited 1 hour ago by Tiger337

[chasfh]

35 minutes ago, oblong said:

I'll never forget the winter meetings when the Tiger signed Phillips.  It was right when ESPN got MLB and they covered it a lot more.  They were talking to Peter Gammons and he said the Tigers just signed him and to watch out for that, he's going to be a good player for them.  He was very high on it.  At that time I thought of Phillips as just a utility guy on the A's. Nothing special.

 

He kind of was "just a utility guy" for the A's. One excellent season, another really good, several pretty decent seasons by WAR, but mostly the the glove and less by the bat. Once he got to Detroit he turned that around to become a really good bat with a sturdy glove.

Fun fact: Tony Phillips had, by a long shot, the highest WAR of any player who played his entire career in the All-Star era and never played in the game itself. Kirk Gibson was second, and Reference has their career WARs as being more than 12 apart!

[Tiger337]

5 minutes ago, chasfh said:

He kind of was "just a utility guy" for the A's. One excellent season, another really good, several pretty decent seasons by WAR, but mostly the the glove and less by the bat. Once he got to Detroit he turned that around to become a really good bat with a sturdy glove.

Fun fact: Tony Phillips had, by a long shot, the highest WAR of any player who played his entire career in the All-Star era and never played in the game itself. Kirk Gibson was second, and Reference has their career WARs as being more than 12 apart!

The Phillips/Tettleton/Fielder era was when I was really starting to get into sabermetrics and I saw how underrated Phillips and Tettleton were compared to Fielder.  Nobody cared about Phillps's on base skills or defensive versatilty.  He should have been playing today. 

[oblong]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

The Phillips/Tettleton/Fielder era was when I was really starting to get into sabermetrics and I saw how underrated Phillips and Tettleton were compared to Fielder.  Nobody cared about Phillps's on base skills or defensive versatilty.  He should have been playing today. 

And Fielder got the credit for all the runs being scored... he and Tettleton for his HR's, but it was the on base skills that did that.  It was Fryman and Phillips and Tettleton, not for his HR's but his walks.

 

[Tiger337]

1 minute ago, oblong said:

And Fielder got the credit for all the runs being scored... he and Tettleton for his HR's, but it was the on base skills that did that.  It was Fryman and Phillips and Tettleton, not for his HR's but his walks.

 

Right, Fielder was a good home run hitter, but he got more credit than he should have for all his RBI.  Whitaker and Phillips were on base all the time.  

[Motor City Sonics]

Worst in baseball history (outside of the Tigers) has got to be Anthony Rendon.    Not just because he barely plays, but because he openly admitted he didn't want to play.