Ten MLB Contracts Still Choking Payrolls in 2026
Summary (150 to 200 words, in paragraph sections): This article frames a bad contract in 2026 as a roster problem, not a punchline. The money is what locks teams out of normal fixes, like adding bullpen depth, upgrading the bench, or absorbing arbitration raises without flinching.
The countdown runs from “ghost checks” to deals that squeeze real contenders. It opens with the famous Bobby Bonilla deferrals, then expands to other long tail obligations like Chris Davis and Stephen Strasburg. From there it shifts into decline bets where the price stays premium even when the production slips, including Nick Castellanos, Taijuan Walker, Javier Báez, and Antonio Senzatela.
The top tier is injury roulette: Lance McCullers Jr and Kris Bryant, then Anthony Rendon at number one, with the article noting the Angels situation and the reality that the roster still has to move forward with that weight attached. The takeaway is simple and sharp. Long term money is a durability bet, and one miss forces perfection everywhere else.
Worst MLB Contracts Still Being Paid in 2026, ranked from annoying to suffocating: ghost checks, decline bets, injury deals boxing teams in.