The Ten Worst Mariners Free Agent Signings Ever

5. Richie Sexson

2016 equivalent: Adam Lind

To be fair, Richie Sexson performed pretty much exactly what could have been expected of him in the first two years of his four-year $50 million contract. Despite leading the league in strikeouts in 2005 with Seattle, he still hit 39 home runs, drove in 121 runs, and ended up with a .910 OPS. Everyone knew (or should have known) that he was a ‘three true outcomes’ kind of hitter. He struck out a ton, sure, but he also walked 89 times his first season with the Mariners and was generally productive.

He followed up his solid first year in Seattle with a decent second year, bashing another 34 home runs and driving in over a hundred runs yet again (that was what Bavasi signed him for, no?). But his walk rate tumbled in his second year and his OPS fell by almost 70 points. In the third year of Bavasi’s investment in Big Sex, the Portland native slashed a miserable .205/.295/.399 in 121 games.

Further damning himself, he alienated the fans who were initially excited by his signing (me included) with his thorny attitude to the press. Because the M’s were stuck with his large contract after his awful 2007 season, Sexson was their starting first baseman for 74 games in 2008 before releasing him. Sexson’s highlight in 2008 (on his way to posting a .700 OPS) was his epic fight with Rangers pitcher Kason Gibbard. Sexson threw his batting helmet at Gibbard and proceeded to try and pound him into the pitcher’s mound. Classy guy.