Disastrous Baseball Trades
It’s baseball’s offseason, the ‘hot stove league.’ Teams look to improve themselves through trades and free-agent signings. This week we’ll cover some of the most unbalanced trades in baseball history. Unbalanced because one team’s disaster is another’s fortune.
There is a quiz at the end of this post.
Famous ‘Bad Trades’
Let’s dispense with the most infamous trades in baseball. The worst trade in any professional sport is the Boston Red Sox sending Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in December 1919. Before the trade, Boston had won the World Series in 3 of the prior 5 seasons. The Yankees had never even appeared in one. After the exchange, Boston failed to win a World Series for 84 years. Over the same time period, the Yankees won 26 World Series.
Another infamous swap was the Cubs trading Lou Brock to the Saint Louis Cardinals. After four mediocre seasons with the Cubs, Brock went on to a hall of fame career with the Cardinals, accruing over 3,000 hits, more than 900 stolen bases, and three World Series appearances. This trade is given as an example of Cubs bumbling ways, explaining their zillion year gap between World Series victories.
A Team that Trades Well
Since the Brock fiasco, the Cubs have ‘won’ many trades, big time. Check these out:
Pitcher Kyle Hendricks, 2012. He was traded away by the Texas Rangers and went on to become one of the stars of the Cubs 2016 World Series season. Hendricks was rookie of the year in his first season and has received votes for the annual Cy Young award given to the best pitcher each season. (player trader for Hendricks is in the quiz below)
Pitcher Jack Arrieta, 2013. Arrieta was a disaster with the Orioles, and they gave up on him after 4 seasons. Something magical happened and, by 2015, he was virtually unhittable, becoming the best pitcher in baseball, winning the Cy Young award. And he won 2 games in the Cubs 2016 World Series victory.
First Baseman Derrek Lee, 2004. After contributing to the Marlin’s defeat of the Cubs in the ‘Bartman ball’ playoff game of 2003, he was traded to the Cubs. Lee hit for both power and average, leading the Cubs to the playoffs in 2007 and 2008.
Third baseman Aramis Ramirez, 2003. The Cubs received third baseman Aramis Ramirez from the Pirates. He helped lead the Cubs to the playoffs, made the all-star team several times, and averaged over 25 home runs a year for the Cubs.
Outfielder Sammy Sosa, 1992. The Cubs fleeced the White Sox in this deal. After the exchange, Sosa went on to consume steroids (alleged) and hit over 60 home runs in two separate seasons and over 600 for his career.
Second baseman Ryne Sandberg, 1982. I bet the Phillies regret trading him. Sandberg became a perennial all-star, leading the Cubs to the playoffs in 1984 and 1989. His Hall-of-Fame career lasted 16 years.
Trading Away Hall-of-Famers
Trading away future Hall-of-Fame players is probably not a good idea. Some examples of deals gone bad:
The Mets traded ace pitcher Tom Seaver to the Reds in 1977. Seaver continued to pitch for another nine seasons and entered the Hall-of-Fame in 1992
Outfielder Frank Robinson from the Reds to the Orioles in 1965. Robinson earned the triple crown (led the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in) the next year. He led Baltimore to two world series victories. He was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1982.
Pitcher Steve Carlton from the Cardinals to the Phillies. Carlton went on to win 4 Cy Young awards and lead the Phillies to their first world championship in 1980. Hall-of-Fame class of 1994.
Detroit sent pitcher John Smoltz to Atlanta in 1987. Smoltz went on to a 20-year hall of fame career as both a starter and a reliever. (Hall of Fame, 2015)
Most Significant Trade
The trade of Curt Flood was the most significant in Baseball history. Curt Flood was an outstanding all-star center field for the Cardinals. In 1969 he was traded by the Cardinals to the Phillies. Flood objected to the trade stating: “After twelve years in the major leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes.” Flood sued MLB. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled against him 5 – 3. However, his actions led to player free agency rights and the ‘Curt Flood’ rule, allowing a player with 10 years of experience, five the same team, to veto trades.
Feel free to mention any other noteworthy trades in the comments section.
For extra credit, take this trade Quiz:
1. Babe Ruth was traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees in return for:
a. Shoeless Joe Jackson and $60,000
b. $100,000
c. Baby Ruth Candy Bars
d. Ty Cobb
2. Lou Brock was traded by the Cubs to the Cardinals in return for:
a. Ernie Broglio
b. Curt Flood
c. Stan Musial
d. Bob Gibson
3. The Texas Rangers traded Kyle Hendricks to the Cubs for:
a. Sammy Sosa
b. Anthony Rizzo
c. Ryan Dempster
d. Starlin Castro
4. And who did the Cubs give the Phillies in return for Ryne Sandberg?
a. Ivan Dejesus
b. Bill Buckner
c. Fergie Jenkins
d. Dallas Green
5. The Cubs traded for Jack Arrieta giving Baltimore?
a. Scott Feldman
b. Alfonso Soriano
c. Tony LaRussa
d. Javier Baez
6. Sammy Sosa was traded by the White Sox to the Cubs for:
a. Harold Baines
b. George Bell
c. Harry Carey
d. Frank Thomas
Answers:
1. Babe Ruth was traded for $100,000. Boston did not receive any players
2. Lou Brock was traded for Ernie Broglio. Broglio’s career ended after 2 mediocre seasons.
3. After the trade for Hendricks, Ryan Dempster lasted only 2 more seasons before retiring.
4. The Phillies received several good seasons of play from Ivan Dejesus, but nothing to match Ryne Sandberg’s career.
5. Scott Feldman was an average pitcher for 4 different teams in 5 years after the Arrietta trade.
6. George Bell played so-so seasons for the Sox and left baseball, while Sosa played another 15 years smashing home runs
How did you do?