MLB Trade Deadline 2012: 5 Historic Trades That Every GM Should Learn From

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

The logic is simple.  The statement...profound.  Actually being able to learn from history?  Very difficult.

Nowhere is this truth more evident than in Major League Baseball.  Prone to lopsided trades more than any other sport, baseball never fails in delivering one-sided deals at the trading deadline.  Maybe it's simply a byproduct of the game's structure.

Or perhaps some teams just never learn from their past.

With it being that time of year again (the MLB trade deadline is July 31st)—I wanted to see what could be learned from some historically bad exchanges.

So listen up, Ben Cherington (pictured above), Theo Epstein, Jon Daniels and all of you other young GMs out there... 

This one's for you.

Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser for A.J. Pierzynski

What Happened

In 2003, the San Francisco Giants dealt Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser to the Minnesota Twins for 26-year-old catcher A.J. Pierzynski. 

Nathan went on to become one of the league's premier closers, Liriano flashed stretches of sheer brilliance and Boof Bonser made 60 starts at the back end of the Twins rotation. 

Pierzynski, on the other hand, hit .277 and was released by the Giants a year later.

Why Was the Deal Made?

At the time, Pierzynski was regarded as one of the better hitting catchers in the game, and the Giants were looking to upgrade their catcher combination of Benito Santiago and Yorvit Torrealba.

Joe Nathan had struggled with shoulder issues, and Liriano and Bonser were both hit-or-miss pitching prospects.

Lesson Learned

Micromanaging can be fatal. 

The Giants had won 100 games the previous season with Torrealba and Santiago behind the plate as the duo combined to hit .260 on the year. 

Selling off three pitching prospects for an upgrade that isn't absolutely necessary, is unwise.  Heck, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

David Cone for Marty Janzen

What Happened

The 1995 deadline found the Toronto Blue Jays shipping David Cone to the New York Yankees for Marty Janzen.

Cone went on to throw a perfect game and ended up with five World Series rings.

Marty Janzen ended up as a pitching coach for the Lancaster Barnstormers.

Why Was the Deal Made?

The Blue Jays weren't the only team that felt like shopping around Cone, and they weren't blown away by his 3.38 ERA and 9-6 record that he produced in 1995.

Why not try to cash him in for some prospects while they could?

Lesson Learned

Patience is a virtue. 

While the pedestrian record and ERA were not the lights-out numbers that the Blue Jays were hoping for, waiting for an ace pitcher to dominate like an ace pitcher is the smarter move.

Babe Ruth for $100,000/Sammy Sosa for George Bell

What Happened

The Chicago White Sox shipped a 22-year-old Sammy Sosa to the Chicago Cubs for George Bell.

Sammy Sosa then decided to "lift some weights" and promptly turned into Slammin' Sammy. 

In two seasons, George Bell hit a total of 38 home runs to go along with batting averages of .255 and .217 respectively, before retiring.

And well, we all know what the Boston Red Sox did.  No need to relive the painful memories here.

Why Was the Deal Made?

To be fair, the White Sox could have never predicted Sosa would challenge for home run titles for years to come, and George Bell was a three-time All-Star when the trade happened.

As for the Red Sox, $100,000 during that time period is equivalent to $1.2 million today.

Lesson Learned

Money doesn't buy happiness.

Also, it's probably best to refrain from trading with your biggest rival.  It only makes everything worse when you get robbed.

Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek for Heathcliff Slocumb

What Happened

At the trade deadline of the 1997 season, the Seattle Mariners tossed Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe to the Boston Red Sox for closer Heathcliff Slocumb.

Varitek and Lowe became cornerstones of the Red Sox franchise and brought them a World Series in 2004.  Slocumb simply got hammered in the year and a half that he spent with the Mariners.

Why Was the Deal Made?

The Mariners needed bullpen help at the time, and Slocumb was coming off of back-to-back 30-save seasons.  Varitek and Lowe were valuable prospects, but weren't considered untouchable.

Lesson Learned

Never pay for closers. 

They're a lot like rabbits—they can be rapidly reproduced and flame out quickly.

Jason Schmidt and John Vander Wal for Armando Rios and Ryan Vogelsong

What Happened

In 2001, the San Francisco Giants acquired Jason Schmidt and John Vander Wal from the Pittsburgh Pirates.  In return, the Pirates received Armando Rios and Ryan Vogelsong.

Jason Schmidt became the Giants ace for the next six seasons and was a three-time All-Star.  Vander Wal produced minimally, and Rios gave the Pirates exactly one home run.

As for Vogelsong?  He was downright dreadful for the Pirates for over roughly five seasons—shifting around the minor and major leagues and ending up in independent ball.

The Giants wound up adding him again in 2011, so he became an All-Star, naturally.

Why Was the Deal Made? 

I still cannot figure this one out.  Schmidt was a legitimate starting pitcher at the time of the deal, and Rios and Vogelsong were not highly regarded prospects.  Does not make sense.

Lesson Learned

Try not to be stupid.  In case you were wondering, trading a viable starting pitcher for virtually nothing is stupid.