3 worst Angels contracts from the last 10 years

2) LA Angels infielder Zack Cozart - 3 years/$38 million dollars

Zack Cozart was a journeyman infielder for the Reds playing six seasons and doing nothing special. He had an OPS+ of 82 during those six seasons, placing him as a below-average shortstop. Cozart then had a random breakout in a contract year hitting 24 home runs with a .933 OPS. This happened in a season where a lot of hitters hit for more power than they used to. He was an all-star in that 2017 season for the Reds and was going to get paid because of it.

The Angels were the team foolish enough to give Cozart a three-year $38 million dollar deal to play third base for them. Cozart ended up playing parts of two seasons with the Halos, totaling 96 games. In those games, he slashed .190/.261/.296 with five home runs and 25 RBI. Cozart had a lowly 52 OPS+ and spent more time injured than on the field.

The worst part about this whole Cozart experience is what happened after the second season. In an effort to clear money up to sign a new star free agent, the Angels shipped Cozart off alongside Will Wilson to the Giants in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.

Not only did the Angels refuse to just release Cozart, they opted to send him elsewhere and in order to pay off the final year of his deal they attached Will Wilson to him. Wilson was the Angels' first-round pick in 2019 and was their fourth-ranked prospect at the time. Now he hasn't turned into much of anything, but that's still just atrocious asset management likely forced on by Arte Moreno.