Teams should take on bad-contracts, to obtain the prospects they want

In Dec 2007, Dontrelle Willis signed a 3 year $29M deal with Detroit, meaning roughly $20M is left on that deal.

Horrible is too kind of a word to describe his 2008 season..

After being sent back to the minors, he was finally recalled in September. During 2008, he pitched a total of 18.2 Major League Innings …

18.2 Innings, 14 hits, 32 walks, 13 k’s, 3 hr’s, 22er, a .909 OPS against – a 10.61 ERA.

In AAA, he was 3-1, 4.45 ERA, 28.1 IP, 34 hits, 20 k’s, 14 walks, 2 homers, 298 BAA

2007 205.1 IP, 241 hits, 146 k’s, 87 walks, 29 homers, .840 OPS against, 5.17 ERA.
2006 223.1 IP, 234 hits, 160 k’s, 83 walks, 21 homers, .742 OPS against, 3.87 ERA.
2005 236.1 IP, 213 hits, 170 k’s, 55 walks, 11 homers, .639 OPS against, 2.63 ERA.

So, each year you are seeing the innings decrease, the k’s decrease, the walks increase, the homers, and OPS against increase… A lot of people thought he would experience a tough transition to the American League….. But nobody could have forcast a year as bad as his 2008…

Still, when ST starts in 2009 he will only be 27 years-old… even if he never approaches his 2005 season again, he can be a useful starter if he can basically be the 2006 and 2007 versions.

If I am an organization like the Orioles, I would be willing to consider taking on his contract, if the O’s got prospects of value back from Detroit, and they traded nothing of value to obtain him…

SS Danny Worth http://www.baseballamerica.com/today…es/265467.html

(Baseball America rated him as the 8th best Detroit prospect to start 2008, best defensive inf)

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story…2/10/134646/64

(Sickels rated him as the 3rd best Detroit prospect to start 2008)

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/playe…nnyworth.shtml (717 OPS in 295 AA at-bats as a 22 year old )

2b Scott Sizemore (Broke his wrist in July) http://www.baseballamerica.com/today…es/265467.html (BA rated him as the 3rd best Detroit prospect to start 2008, best hitter for avg, best strike-zone discipline)

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story…2/10/134646/64
(Sickels rated him as the 12th best Detroit prospect to start 2008)

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/playe…Sizemore.shtml ( 774 OPS in 203 High A at-bats, as a 23 year-old )

My best guess on Willis is that 2005, and 2008 were extremes he will not touch again, and that 2006 and 2007 are him… if you look at those seasons, and then adjust for the American League… he can be a serviceable over-paid back of the rotation starter……. Might be worth if it you could get a couple of prospects with value back.