Prior to the 2016 season, the Miami Marlins signed lefty starter Wei-Yin Chen to a 5-year/$80 million deal, the largest the franchise had ever handed out to a free agent pitcher. Journalists and fans alike knew the signing was a short-sighted, win-now move, and that the contract would eventually become a huge burden for the small-market team. They were wrong—the contract has been a burden all along due to Chen's poor results.
Through his first three years in Miami, Chen boasted a 4.75 ERA over 289 2⁄3 innings, which was a far cry from what the Marlins thought they were getting when they agreed to deal with a pitcher who was coming off consecutive seasons with over ten wins and 185 innings pitched with Baltimore.