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20 players worth less than Bobby Bonilla this year but getting paid more

Former MLB player Bobby Bonilla collects $1.19 million from the New York Mets every July 1. Here are 20 players getting paid more than that this year who are less valuable to their teams than Bonilla is to the Mets. 

On Wednesday, Mets fans celebrate (or at least mark the passing of) Bobby Bonilla Day. Every July 1, beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2035, Bonilla gets a check from the Mets for $1.19 million. Those were the terms he agreed to when the Mets bought out his contract in 1999.

At 52 years old, Bonilla is worth exactly nothing to the Mets this year, which is actually more than he was worth in his final year with the team. Back in 1999, Bonilla was worth -1.4 wins above replacement (WAR) by Baseball Reference's measure, meaning the Mets would have actually won more games if they just called up some dude from the minors.

Jim Harbaugh brings the heat for first pitch at Tigers game

There are dozens and dozens of negative-WAR players in the majors this year who are earning more than Bonilla this season. That list is full of guys like veteran backup catcher Jeff Mathis, but there are also some pretty notable players. Let's take a look at the 20 biggest names. 

  • Chase Utley: -1.3 WAR, $15m
  • Ichiro Suzuki: -1.0 WAR, $2m
  • Jayson Werth: -1.0 WAR, $21m
  • Alex Rios: -0.9 WAR, $11m
  • Alexei Ramirez: -0.9 WAR, $10m
  • Jimmy Rollins: -0.9 WAR, $11m
  • Victor Martinez: -0.8 WAR, $14m
  • Chase Headley: -0.8 WAR, $13m
  • Stephen Strasburg: -0.8 WAR, $7.4m
  • Nick Swisher: -0.6 WAR, $15m
  • Ryan Zimmerman: -0.6 WAR, $14m
  • Aramis Ramirez: -0.6 WAR, $14m
  • Rusney Castillo: -0.5 WAR, $11.3m
  • Ryan Howard: -0.5 WAR, $25m
  • Carlos Beltran: -0.5 WAR, $15m
  • Coco Crisp: -0.3 WAR, $11m
  • Carl Crawford: -0.3 WAR, $21.4m
  • Pablo Sandoval: -0.2 WAR, $17.6m
  • Matt Kemp: -0.1 WAR, $21.25m
  • Hanley Ramirez: -0.1 WAR, $19.75m

- Dan Gartland