In order to accumulate a large negative number in Wins Above Replacement, a player cannot be merely bad. After all, most players who perform at less than replacement level for any extended period of time get, well, replaced. So to pile up a substantial negative number a guy has to be both performing poorly and getting playing time anyway.
That might be because his team believes, for good reason or not, that he will turn it around. Or his team believes that he is more valuable (for tangible or intangible reasons) than the WAR numbers suggest. Or there are sentimental or financial reasons to keep the player playing independent of performance. Or the team simply has no current better alternative, because the organization doesn’t happen to have access to a replacement level player at the position required.
The current Least Valuable Player in the majors for 2012 — the non-pitcher with the most negative b-ref WAR — is Jeff Francoeur, who continues to be Kansas City’s everyday starting rightfielder despite an OPS for the season of .643 (for a starting corner outfielder!) and a 2012 WAR of -2.9. Francoeur has long been a favorite target for statistically-oriented fans and observers. He is both a charming fellow and capable of hot streaks that lead teams to believe that he can be successful. But in the long run Jeff just can’t ever seem to overcome his poor strike zone judgment. Twenty-five more years of “Least Valuable Players” after the click-through.
Lowest Non-Pitcher WAR (Baseball-Reference Version) By Season:
2011 Adam Dunn -3.0
2010 Nate McLouth -2.8
2009 Yuniesky Betancourt -2.4
2008 Jeff Franceour, Mike Jacobs, Jacques Jones and Jeff Keppinger -1.9
2007 Jermaine Dye -1.9
2006 Angel Berroa -1.9
2005 Tony Womack -2.5
2004 Marlon Byrd -2.4
2003 Jose Macias -2.1
2002 Neifi Perez -2.4
2001 Peter Bergeron -2.1
2000 Michael Barrett and Alex Gonzalez -2.1
1999 Willie McGee -2.9
1998 John Mabry -2.2
1997 Jose Guillen -3.4 (Jose was 7th in Rookie of the Year voting this season)
1996 Mike Kingery -2.1
1995 Andujar Cedeno -2.4
1994 Kim Batiste -2.1
1993 Dave McCarty -2.9
1992 Billy Hatcher -2.9
1991 Hensley Meulens -2.5
1990 Alfredo Griffin -2.5
1989 Pat Tabler -2.5
1988 Andres Thomas -2.0
1987 Jeff Reed and Juan Beniquez -1.7