2016 MLB Season: 5 risky free agent signings

4. Jeff Samardzija to the Giants

Because having one pitcher with long, wild, dark hair isn’t enough. With Tim Lincecum a free agent, the San Francisco Giants might have found a capable replacement, at least in terms of aesthetics.

The Giants are a team accustomed to winning championships, not missing the playoffs altogether, so it stood to reason they’d be active players in free agency. Their primary focus was on signing ace right-hander Zack Greinke away from their rivals in Los Angeles, but when Greinke went to Arizona, the team had to resort to Plan B in Samardzija. As a matter of fact, retaining Mike Leake might have actually been more their Plan B, so who knows for sure where Samardzija really fell on the Giants’ wish list this offseason. Either way, he’s in the Bay now, for better or worse.

It’s not that the man doesn’t have talent – he’s maintained an ERA below 3.00 for three of his eight seasons in the league; it’s just that the former Cub had such an abysmal year last season with the other Chicago baseball team, allowing 118 earned runs (the worst mark in the majors). The Giants are gambling that they acquired the Samardzija who played for the Cubs, not the White Sox, otherwise they just wasted $90 million.

Next: 3. David Price to the Red Sox