8 of the worst contracts in Detroit Tigers history

Detroit Tigers 7th Worst Contract – Craig Paquette

Craig Paquette was spectacularly bad for the Detroit Tigers. It’s hard to go back to 2001 and figure out exactly what General Manager Randy Smith was thinking, but it’s no surprise he was fired a week into the 2002 season. Paquette was primarily a third baseman, though he also played five other positions in the big leauges. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a good defender at any of those spots. He wasn’t fast, he struck out too much, he almost never walked, and he wasn’t a good hitter. The only thing Craig Paquette had going for him was his power. After six season in the majors he was a career .232 hitter with 55 home runs and a negative career WAR.

But he found a role with St. Louis, and in his three seasons with the Cardinals he batted .267 with 40 home runs in 305 games. The Tigers apparently felt they were getting a late bloomer, so they pounced on the 33-year-old with a two-year, $5 million deal. Paquette was an utter disaster for the Tigers in 2003, and he saw just 33 at-bats in 2004 before the club released him. His final line with Detroit was .189/.215/.288 in 83 games, with four home runs. That was good for 37 OPS+. He is one of just five position players in franchise history to get more than 250 at-bats and record an OPS+ under 40.