MLB Trades: The 9 Best Deadline Deals in MLB History That Paid off Immediately

The MLB Trade Deadline has produced a lot of great deals, but these are the nine best in history. No trades have immediately paid off as well as these have.

With a flurry of trades around the corner one, deal could prove to be a difference-maker. If it wants to go down in history as one of the best ever, however, the trade must surpass these deals.

These nine trades were the ones that helped the team right away, not over a few years.

Cleveland Indians Trade David Justice to the New York Yankees

Brian Cashman is a legendary GM, and that is partially because of this trade.

After failing to acquire Sammy Sosa and Juan Gonzalez, Cashman turned to John Hart and the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees were desperate for a bat, and the Indians were looking to trade outfielder David Justice who they believed to be declining.

The trade went down, with the Yankees acquiring Justice for RHP Jake Westbrook, RHP Zach Day and OF Ricky Ledee.

Justice was batting .265 with 21 home runs in 68 games, and he seemed to be doing pretty well. His average was a bit lower than usual, but his power numbers were pretty good.

Justice then came over to the Yankees for 78 games. He hit .305 with 20 home runs during that time. Justice ended up hitting a career-high 41 home runs that season, and he hit .286 for the year.

Justice helped carry the team through the postseason. He hit a bomb in Game 5 of the ALDS, putting the Yankees a further ahead of the A's, and they eventually won the game and the series.

Justice then destroyed the Mariners driving in eight RBI in six games, including a three-run home run in Game 6 that turned a 4-3 deficit into a 6-4 lead.

The Yankees won the series, and Justice was named the ALCS MVP. The team then won the World Series for the third straight time that season.

Justice did go through a decline after that season, but he led the team for that one season.

Cleveland Indians Trade Cliff Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies

During the 2009 season, the Philadelphia Phillies were World Champions. They were looking to improve their pitching staff at the trade deadline, and they did so nicely.

The Phillies first tried chasing Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays, but they failed to land him. Halladay stayed in Toronto until the end of the season. The Phillies then worked out a quiet deal for Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians.

Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 2008, and won the AL Cy Young. He was not doing as well in the 2008 season when he was traded to the Phillies. Lee then went 7-4 with an ERA of 3.39 wit the Phillies in the regular season.

That alone is not impressive, but it was in 2009 when he began his postseason dominance.

Lee went 4-0 in the postseason, allowing seven earned runs in 40.1 innings pitched. He won two games against the New York Yankees in the World Series, and the Phillies won every game that he pitched in.

The Phillies lost the World Series 4-2, with their only two wins coming from Cliff Lee's dominant pitching. Lee carried the team when it mattered most, and signing him instead of Halladay was not a loss at all.

Toronto Blue Jays Trade David Cone to the New York Yankees

During the 1995 season, the New York Yankees were looking for a pitcher, and they found one in David Cone.

The Yankees sent Marty Janzen to the Toronto Blue Jays for Cone, and they received an All-Star in return.

Cone went 9-2 in 13 starts, with an ERA of 3.82. He did very well in the regular season, and he won a game in the postseason.

Cone contributed to the Yankees' success that season, and he helped them by going 1-0 in two starts in the postseason.

Considering how little they had to give up, the trade for Cone was a great one.

St. Louis Cardinals Trade Keith Hernandez to the New York Mets

During the 1983 season the New York Mets were looking for a bat, and they acquired Keith Hernandez. Hernandez was on the wrong side of 30 in 1983, but he still gave the Mets one heck of a season.

The Mets sent Hernandez to the St. Louis Cardinals for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. The star of the deal was Hernandez, especially after the season he gave New York.

Hernandez was batting .284 with three home runs in 55 games before he came over to New York. While in New York, however, he batted .306 with nine home runs in 95 games.

Hernandez gave the Mets a solid bat with Gold Glove defense. Hernandez finished 21st in MVP voting that season, which is impressive considering that he wasn't even in the conversation before he went to New York.

New York Yankees Trade Rickey Henderson to the Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics decided that they wanted Rickey Henderson back in 1989. They decided that they would trade three players for their old player.

The Athletics sent Luis Polonia, Eric Plunk and Greg Cadaret to the New York Yankees for Henderson.

Henderson was batting .247 with three home run and 25 stolen bases with the Yankees before he went to Oakland.

When Henderson came back to Oakland .294 nine home runs 52 stolen bases in only 20 more games than he had with the Yanks. He improved his batting average by almost 50 points, tripled his home run total and more than doubled his number of stolen bases.

Oakland ending up beating the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS, and they won the World Series against the San Francisco Giants that year.

Chicago Cubs Trade Lou Brock to St. Louis Cardinals

During the 1964 season the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals decided that they were going to trade in-division.

The Cardinals sent Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens and Bobby Shantz to Chicago for Lou Brock, Jack Spring and Paul Toth.

Lou Brock was hitting .251 with two home runs in 52 games before coming to St. Louis, but the change of scenery helped him.

Brock played 103 games for the Cardinals, batting .348 with nine home runs. His numbers were unbelievable when he was in St. Louis

Brock finished in the top 10 in MVP voting that season, and it was the first time that he was ever in the conversation.

The Cardinals won the World Series that year, thanks in part to Brock's .300 average, five RBI and one big home run.

Seattle Mariners Trade Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers needed an ace for the playoffs like Cliff Lee, and they acquired him from the Seattle Mariners.

Lee did not impress in the regular season, going 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA, but he was stellar in the postseason.

A young Rangers staff looked up to the proven-ace, and Lee gave them a ton of confidence.

Lee also did well himself, going 2-0 in the ALDS with an ERA of 1.13. He went 1-0, pitching eight shutout-innings in his only start in the ALCS.

Granted, Lee did lose his first two playoff games in the World Series, but he led the Rangers that far, a feat that no one expected.

Cleveland Indians Trade C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers needed a pitcher if they wanted to make the playoffs in the 2008 season, and they found one in C.C. Sabathia.

Sabathia was the previous AL Cy Young-winner, and he helped the Brewers to the playoffs. He went 11-2 in the regular season with an ERA of 1.65 in his 17 starts.

Sabathia had seven complete games and three shutouts during his time with the Brewers. He pitched so well that some experts said that they would have given him the NL Cy Young award despite pitching in only 17 games.

Sabathia led his team to the postseason, which is a feat in and of itself.

He had only one start in the postseason, losing it because he surrendered a grand slam to Shane Victorino, accounting for four of his five runs.

Atlanta Braves Trade Doyle Alexander to the Detroit Tigers

This trade is possibly the best deadline deal for both teams ever.

The Detroit Tigers needed a starting pitcher, so they traded prospect John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander of the Atlanta Braves.

Alexander was the one who paid off immediately.

He went 9-0 with an ERA of 1.53 in 11 starts. His pitching was perfect with the Tigers in 1987.

Alexander led the team to the postseason, where they lost in the ALCS to the Minnesota Twins.

Obviously Smoltz went on to help the Braves for 20 years, cementing himself as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, but since this list is for immediate impact, Alexander is the star of the trade.