1. Stephen Strasburg - 7 yr/$245M
After opting out of his initial contract with the Nationals following the 2019 World Series, Stephen Strasburg inked a megadeal worth $245 million that went through the 2026 season. There is always a risk when giving pitchers huge contracts, whether it be because of severe regression (*ahem* Patrick Corbin) or because of injuries. In Strasburg's case, the risk was the latter. He had a lengthy history of injuries earlier in his career and unfortunately, the injury bug returned. After throwing just 31.1 innings across three seasons of his new contract and being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, Stephen Strasburg officially retired prior to the 2024 season. With the Nationals still on the hook for his contract for the next two seasons and having already paid almost $200 million for just 31.1 innings, Strasburg's contract is easily the worst in the NL East and possibly in all of baseball.
2. Nick Castellanos - 5yr/$100M
After another middling year in 2021, the Philadelphia Phillies went on a spending spree prior to the 2022 season. As a whole, the spending spree seemed to help, as the Phillies advanced all the way to the World Series before losing to the Houston Astros in 6 games, but there was one contract that just did not make sense at the time and does not make sense today, and that is Nick Castellanos's contract. 5 years/$100 million may be a bargain for some players, but for a player who is abysmal defensively and a slightly above average bat, the contract has become a burden for the Phillies. In his 3 seasons with the Phillies to this point, Castellanos has 1.4 fWAR, a 103 wRC+, -26 Outs Above Average (OAA), and -28 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), the latter two stats being bottom 3 in all of baseball from 2022-2024. Castellanos was never signed for his defensive abilities, but his average offensive production, combined with the horrible defense, has made his contract one of the worst in the NL East.
3. Starling Marte - 4yr/$78M
Similarly to the Phillies, the New York Mets also went on a spending spree prior to the 2022 season. The headlines were all about signing Max Scherzer and extending Francisco Lindor, but the Mets had some less flashy signings too, one of those being Starling Marte. In November 2021, Marte signed a 4 year/$78 million deal with the Mets to be their primary RF. The contract started out well, with Marte putting up 3.5 fWAR and a 133 wRC+ in his first season in Queens, but the contract quickly started to look like a waste for the Mets. In an injury-plagued 2023, Marte had the worst season of his career with a -0.3 fWAR and a 75 wRC+. He rebounded a bit in 2024, but at age 35, it seems like Marte's best years are behind him. Marte's contract ends after 2025, but unless he turns back the clock a few years for next season, this will certainly be one of the worst contracts in the NL East.