15 worst Toronto Blue Jays free agent signings in franchise history

14. OF Mookie Wilson - two years, $2.75M (1989-1990 offseason)

Wilson was initially acquired via trade from the New York Mets, but he elected free agency at the end of the 1989 season. Exactly two weeks later, he had re-upped with the Blue Jays on a two-year contract.

He began his career with the Mets and was a very exciting player in the early days. A switch-hitter, Wilson possessed an impressive ability to hit for some pop, steal a ton of bases and play solid defense in the outfield.

As he aged, all three of those characteristics began to decline rather quickly. By the time he became a member of the Jays, he had no pop left, was stealing less bases, his defensive metrics were poor and his awful eye at the plate became even more exposed than it had been in year’s past.

In 1989 alone, he played in just 54 games for Toronto but struck out 37 times and walked … only three times.

In 1990, his first (and ultimately, only) full season with the Jays, he hit just three home runs in 147 games and posted a .241 average and a 70 OPS+. He saw a minor uptick in both his oWAR and dWAR but overall was not a productive player.

Wilson wound up losing the starting center field job to Devon White in 1991 and didn’t produce at all in an 86-game showing in what was his last season in the majors.