Teams Who Let Go of Future Stars Way Too Soon
Sometimes letting go of the future is hard to do. Except in certain cases, it really isn't.
General managers in sports have made questionable decisions over the years that have resulted in young talent being shipped off to faraway lands. Giving up on these future stars not only can jeopardize a franchise, but they also tend to cost people their jobs.
Since it's not as cut-and-dry as one would like to think, we constructed a list to make things easier. The criteria here is each player listed had to have made an impact in a major way. They either became the face of their new franchise or went on to accomplish great things.
Let's go back now and find out which teams let go of their future stars way too soon.
Honorable Mentions
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With so much youthful talent constantly being moved around the sports universe, it was only fitting that we carved out an honorable mentions slide. Here are a few names that barely missed the cut but deserved to be talked about anyway.
As always, these names are not in any sort of ranked order:
- Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis Colts, 1997
- Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2014
- Sammy Sosa, Chicago White Sox, 1992
- Chris Pronger, Hartford Whalers, 1995
- Tyler Seguin, Boston Bruins, 2013
- Curt Schilling, Baltimore Orioles, 1991
Pedro Martinez (Los Angeles Dodgers)
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Pedro Martinez was a California resident before he became the savior of the Boston Red Sox organization.
Martinez started off his playing career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992, pitching only eight innings that season. By the time '93 rolled around, Martinez was on a collision course for success. His 10-5 record and 2.61 ERA were both sparkling components of his overall game.
The Dodgers dealt Martinez to the now-defunct Montreal Expos in '94 and the rest became Hall of Fame history.
Martinez went on to win 219 games, three Cy Young awards and a World Series title in 2004. He accomplished all of that—minus 10 wins—without the help of the team that traded him during the early years of the Clinton administration.
Zdeno Chara (New York Islanders)
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Like most trades in sports, when the New York Islanders dealt Zdeno Chara in 2001 to the Ottawa Senators, they were looking to better themselves.
The goal was to acquire a scorer named Alexei Yashin in hopes of boosting their offensive presence. Yashin produced during his first season with the team, but he never was the dominant offensive force the world had hoped for.
Chara on the other hand transitioned into the league's top defender. He spent time with the Senators before he inked a deal to become a household name with the Boston Bruins in 2006.
Some trades don't work out. That's the nature of the business. Sadly for the Islanders and their rabid fanbase, the Chara deal was one of those blunders.
James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder)
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The decision that sent superstar guard James Harden to Houston is one of those deals we will remember for a very long time.
Harden was coming off an NBA Finals appearance with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the end of the 2012 season. With him out there on the same court as Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, the Thunder became a basketball powerhouse.
Former ESPN personality Bill Simmons penned an entire piece dismantling the trade back in 2012. Simmons' article was convincing. He eviscerated the Thunder dynasty with a few fatal strokes on the keyboard.
As you know by now, Harden bloomed into an MVP-worthy player with the Rockets. He's arguably the league's top scoring threat and a guy you can build around for a decade or so.
The Thunder essentially gave up on Harden. And that deal went on to tilt the balance of power in the Western Conference.
Ryne Sandberg (Philadelphia Phillies)
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Ryne Sandberg played a little bit of shortstop with the Philadelphia Phillies before the team washed their hands of him heading into the 1982 season.
Luckily Sandberg found solace in that vine-covered paradise we call Wrigley Field. With the Chicago Cubs, Ryno belted out 282 home runs, drove in 1,061 RBI and had his No. 23 jersey retired.
He wound up being a 10-time All-Star and even snagged the National League's MVP award in 1984 for his efforts.
The Phillies lost out on one of the top players because of a hasty decision. To this day, that has to burn.
Jarome Iginla (Dallas Stars)
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Jarome Iginla's talent showed no limitations during the late '90s and early 2000s. His entertaining style of play and propensity for spraying heat into the net made him a masterful addition to the Calgary Flames.
He will always be a Flame at heart. That's the place where he skated to a legacy of points and highlights.
But before all of that went down, the Dallas Stars were the team that actually drafted Iginla. Shortly after they did, the young scorer was sent to the Flames in deal that brought Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas.
Nieuwendyk produced for the Stars and he was even part of a Stanley Cup-winning team. But Iginla became a megastar.
In a deal to acquire an established name, the Stars mortgaged a big part of their future plans.
Brett Favre (Atlanta Falcons)
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The NFL's marketplace for genuine studs at the quarterback position isn't a deep list. Over the years, different tiers of talent have emerged. For the bulk of his career, Brett Favre was always at the top of that scale.
Unless you love the NFL or do a little digging, most casual fans don't know that the Atlanta Falcons drafted Favre. The year was 1991 when Favre became the Dirty Birds' second-round pick.
Favre wouldn't last long in Georgia. He was swiftly traded to the Green Bay Packers in '92 for a first-round selection, thus starting the engine on his true legacy.
A whopping 71,838 yards passing, 508 touchdowns and a Super Bowl win later, Favre turned out to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
Cam Neely (Vancouver Canucks)
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Cam Neely was originally a member of the Vancouver Canucks. He played during the days when the team's uniforms looked like beehives.
His run north of the border, where Neely produced a grand total of 103 points, lasted three years. The trade to Boston wasn't staggeringly lopsided at the time. Neely hadn't ignited his star yet and the Canucks needed to make a move.
He wound up with the Bruins after the Canucks inked center Barry Pederson to a contract. Having his rights unprotected, Neely immediately became part of that deal.
We know that trade was a big mistake. Neely went on to serve the Bruins for 10 seasons, becoming a luminous star in the process. Known for his relentless grit and skill, Bam-Bam Cam scored 344 goals on his way to the Hall of Fame.
Miguel Cabrera (Florida Marlins)
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When Miguel Cabrera left the Florida Marlins, he was already a World Series champion.
But in typical Marlins fashion, that championship roster was purged, which sent Cabrera away to the Detroit Tigers in 2008. Before he became a Triple Crown winner and arguably the best hitter in baseball, Cabrera was a young stud honing his craft.
Being a revisionist won't change anything about the Cabrera trade. The fact of the matter is the Marlins gave up on one of baseball's elite talents and the Tigers went on to reap the rewards of that decision.
Jerome Bettis (St. Louis Rams)
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Jerome Bettis was so effective as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers that it's hard to fathom he suited up for the St. Louis Rams at one time.
His rookie year in 1993 was vintage Bettis. Powering his way to 1,429 yards on 294 attempts, Bettis began putting in that workhorse pace we would all get accustomed to seeing early on.
The following season brought a dip in production. And despite toppling the 1,000-yard mark, Bettis found himself a new home in Pittsburgh the year after that.
A 10-year career in that iconic black and yellow uniform produced great results. Bettis became the team's feature back, amassing 10,571 yards rushing and 80 total touchdowns.
Things didn't turn out too poorly for the Rams. A few seasons after Bettis was dealt, they landed Marshall Faulk. That addition plus a few others spawned the "Greatest Show on Turf" era.
Babe Ruth (Boston Red Sox)
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The legendary deal that sent Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $100,000 will live on forever.
Ruth was a guy who could do it all. He was a powerful pitcher early on his career, winning 89 games and posting a lifetime ERA of 2.19 with the Sox. When it came time to swing the lumber, he also pushed 29 home runs and 113 RBI out the season before he put on pinstripes.
To top all of that off, Ruth won three World Series titles in Boston. Still, he was traded.
We all know what went down after the deal was completed. Ruth went on to obliterate the record books, slugging 659 home runs in a Yankees uniform. He also won four more championships, becoming immortal in the process.
Steve Young (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
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Steve Young's first NFL stop was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His decision to leave the now-defunct USFL led him to that Florida heat in 1985.
Continuing his wild ride to superstardom, Young lasted only two seasons in Tampa before Bill Walsh and the San Francisco 49ers retained his services through a trade.
While backing up the great Joe Montana, Young learned the intricacies of Walsh's offensive scheme. He embraced the West Coast formula, and when he finally got a chance to start full time—due to Montana suffering an injury—he literally ran away with the job.
Montana was transported to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 while Young went on to do great things. He stamped his ticket to the Hall of Fame, amassing 33,490 yards of total offense in the Bay Area.
Too bad the Bucs didn't realize the weapon they had gravitating around the clubhouse. If nothing else, Young would have made those dreadful orange uniforms look good.
Jeff Bagwell (Boston Red Sox)
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The Boston Red Sox are starting to make a habit of popping up on this list. In 1989, they selected an up-and-coming power hitter named Jeff Bagwell.
Bagwell didn't last long in Boston, as the team dealt one of their youngest prospects the following year to the Houston Astros for reliever Larry Anderson.
To say the trade backfired would be an insult to that word. For starters, Anderson was 37 years of age when he came to Boston. Secondly, he wound up pitching a total of 15 regular-season games in a Sox uniform.
Posted up across the country, Bagwell turned into one of the top players in the league. He spent all 15 seasons of his career with the Astros, crushing 449 home runs, 1,529 RBI and posting a lifetime average of .297.
Giving up on young talent can be painful. Jeff Bagwell is a constant reminder of that.
Steve Largent (Houston Oilers)
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The Houston Oilers played host to Steve Largent at the start of his NFL journey. Thought it lasted just a handful of preseason games, he was a member of the Oilers in 1976.
When the decision was made to cut the wide receiver, the brass in Houston instead traded Largent to the Seattle Seahawks.
Clearly, they made a monumental error in judgement.
Largent exploded with the Seahawks. He caught 819 passes for 13,089 yards and 100 TDs in an era where passing the football wasn't nearly as potent as it is today.
No. 80 became a legend thanks to a pair of golden hands and determination. Largent never left Seattle. He made it his NFL home and everyone respected him for that.
Nolan Ryan (New York Mets)
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The New York Mets had themselves a budding star in Nolan Ryan during the late '60s. He started his illustrious MLB career in New York, spending five seasons sporting that vintage Mets ensemble.
Numbers-wise, Ryan never really exploded with the Mets. He posted a 29-38 record to go along with a 3.58 ERA and 493 strikeouts.
He really took flight when he was traded to the California Angels prior to the 1972 season. All eight of Ryan's seasons with the Angels resulted in double-digit wins. He was one of baseball's top pitchers, which had to leave the Mets' front office kicking and screaming.
Ryan did a lot of good things for the sport of baseball. To this day, his 5,715 strikeouts is still the highest total in MLB history.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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