Sizemore’s revenge: scrap heap acquisitions that didn’t pan out for Red Sox

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

With Opening Day just a few days away, Grady Sizemore is poised to come north with the Boston Red Sox. It’s a great story: a former All-Star, signed to an incentive-laden $750,000 contract, hasn’t played in the Majors for two years and now appears to have penciled himself in as the team’s starting center fielder. He’s a true “scrap heap” find.

Previously: The Grady Sizemore All-Stars

But sometimes it doesn’t work out, and Red Sox fans need to be prepared for that possibility. With that in mind, I bring you Sizemore’s Revenge: Busts — scrap heap pickups over the last 20 years that, for whatever reason, didn’t pan out.

What’s the criteria?

1. No pitchers. This list is for position players. Hot Garbage All-Stars: Red Sox Pitchers will be a future post.

2. The player must be “somebody.” Maybe he was an All-Star.  A Gold Glover. A former Rookie of the Year. A guy who was once an everyday player. A prospect who can’t catch a break.

3. The player must be on the scrap heap. Either:

a) unwanted — waived and/or looking at a steep pay cut,

b) coming back from injury, or

c) returning from the minors, an independent league, a foreign country, or being out of baseball altogether.

Those are the rules. And now, the busts…

2009 O-Pee-Chee

Rocco Baldelli (2009)

The signing of the “Woonsocket Rocket” has frequently been compared to the Sizemore deal. Both men were center fielders by trade and both deals were low-risk. But Rocco was on his way out of baseball due to a rare mitochondrial disorder that not only made him susceptible to sprains and strains, but also sapped his energy when he was able to play.

Baldelli made a valiant effort in 2009, with 7 homers and 23 RBI in 150 AB. Sox fans appreciate Rocco to this day. But his tenure can’t be classified as a success. A sad coda to the career of a former #1 pick.

2001 Fleer Tradition

Tony Clark (2002)

The 29-year old logged only 636 AB the previous two seasons, as a bad back hampered the 6’8” first baseman. But he was also the author of three straight 30-homer seasons from 1997 to ’99. The Sox claimed him off waivers in November 2001 and paid him $5 million. I attended a Peter Gammons talk shortly after the transaction and asked him about Clark; Gammons classified him as a major wild card — 30 homers or bust.

The result: bust. Despite a 3-for-5 performance on Opening Day (with a dinger into the net), Clark compiled a feeble .207/.265/.291 slash line with 3 homers and 29 RBI in 275 AB. He was gone to the Mets the next year, to the Yankees the year after that, and somehow hung around until 2009. He is now the executive director of the MLBPA

1992 Fleer Ultra

Craig Grebeck (2001)

Oh, what a mess this was. The 36-year old Grebeck was known as a glove man throughout his MLB career, but nothing could have prepared fans for his 2-for-41 performance at the plate in 2001.

1995 Topps

Bob Hamelin (1999)

Hamelin was the 1994 AL Rookie of the Year, hitting 24 home runs and slashing .282/.388/.599 for the Royals. But he slumped mightily the following year in Kansas City and was on his fourth team by the time he arrived at Red Sox spring training in ’99.

With Mo Vaughn gone to California, Hamelin entered the competition for the first base job but was gone before the team headed north, eventually hanging it up the following year after spending time with the Toledo Mud Hens.

1990 Topps

Kevin Mitchell (1996)

If you have a chance to sign a former MVP, why not do it? After slashing .326/.429/.681 for the Reds during the truncated 1994 season, Mitchell found himself in the Land of the Rising Sun in 1995, tearing up the league before a knee injury and subsequent feud with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks led him to Fort Myers in March 1996.

Mitchell’s weight and attitude were established concerns at this point in his career, as he logged only 92 at-bats for Kevin Kennedy‘s third place club and demanded a trade. Dan Duquette dished him to Cincinnati at the deadline for the immortal Roberto Mejia and Brad Tweedlie.

1991 Topps Stadium Club

Shane Mack (1997)

Duquette apparently didn’t learn from the Mitchell experience when he inked Shane Mack to a one year, $1.85 million contract after two years with the Youmiori Giants.

While Mack mustered a respectable .315/.368/.438 slash line, he logged only 130 at-bats for Jimy Williams’ team.

1986 Topps

Gary Gaetti (2000)

The spirited effort of Gaetti, the 41-year old two-time All Star and former Gold Glove third baseman who was a force in RBI Baseball, was not lost on Jimy Williams, who brought him north as a DH and backup infielder. After going 0 for 10 in five games, the vet hung it up.

Gaetti lived on to cause me a significant amount of heartburn in college as my friend Jay’s Minnesota Twins team dominated my Detroit Tigers squad in RBI, winning 90-some games out of a 162-game Nintendo season.