San Diego Padres: Ranking the 10 worst contracts in the NL West right now

The worst contracts in the NL West give a glimpse into why the 2023 season has been so bad for the San Diego Padres

Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres | Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/GettyImages
3 of 10
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Robert Suarez
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Robert Suarez | Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

8) Worst contracts in the NL West: Robert Suarez of the San Diego Padres

Robert Suarez came out of nowhere last season and was one of the better set-up men in the National League. He had a 2.27 ERA in 45 appearances and worked his way up to being the primary set-up man for Josh Hader.

His season ended in a horrible way as he was the one to give up the back-breaker to Bryce Harper in the NLCS clincher, but had done enough in the eyes of A.J. Preller to earn a five-year deal worth $46 million. I personally wouldn't have given Suarez that much term when looking at how volatile relievers are, and Suarez is proving me right with a rough first year.

Shoulder inflammation forced Suarez to begin the season on the IL, and he wound up missing the first half of the season nursing that injury. He made his season debut on July 21 and has made 10 appearances. His 6.10 ERA doesn't look great, but that's also skewed by one awful outing.

The right-hander is already 32 years of age and has just one year of success on his MLB resume. This deal can turn into a good one, but with how volatile relievers are and the fact that he's made just ten appearances since signing it without another four years to go, he'll have to show it before being taken off of this list.

Schedule