MLB Trades Still Haunting Teams Years Later

Some MLB trades work out, some don't. It's the hindsight-is-20/20 nature of the beast.

But some trades really don't work out and end up haunting one team for years to come.

As we wait to see whether teams pull off any more seismic swaps (good or disastrous) before Opening Day, let's examine a half-dozen of the most regrettable deals in baseball history and how they impacted the franchise on the short end of the transaction.

1B Jeff Bagwell from the Boston Red Sox to the Houston Astros

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In 1990, the Boston Red Sox acquired reliever Larry Andersen from the Houston Astros in exchange for a first base prospect by the name of Jeff Bagwell.

Andersen pitched roughly one month with Boston and struggled in the postseason, surrendering two runs in three appearances as the Oakland Athletics swept the Sox in the American League Championship Series. That offseason, Andersen signed with the San Diego Padres as a free agent.

Bagwell, meanwhile, won Rookie of the Year honors with the 'Stros in 1991, the AL MVP award in 1994 and now has a bust in Cooperstown.

We'd say this was the most lopsided deal in Red Sox history, but we'll get to that later.

RHP Jake Arrieta from the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago Cubs

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Jake Arrieta had a 7.23 ERA in 23.2 innings in 2013 when the Baltimore Orioles dealt him to the Chicago Cubs along with reliever Pedro Strop in exchange for right-hander Scott Feldman and catcher/first baseman Steve Clevenger.

Feldman posted a 4.27 ERA in 15 starts for Baltimore before he left for the Houston Astros in free agency the following offseason. Clevenger was a middling hitter for the O's in two seasons and change.

Meanwhile, Arrieta finished in the top 10 in National League Cy Young Award balloting every season between 2014 and 2016 and won the award in 2015.

He also helped the Cubs bust their infamous championship drought in '16 and was unquestionably one of the best pitchers in baseball during that stretch.

1B Keith Hernandez from the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Mets

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Keith Hernandez will always be best remembered as a member of the New York Mets, but the first baseman spent nearly 10 years with the St. Louis Cardinals and won an MVP with them in 1979.

Midway through the 1983 season, the Cardinals shipped Hernandez to Queens for middle relievers Rick Ownbey and Neil Allen. Neither did much of note during their short stints in St. Louis.

Hernandez, on the other hand, won five Gold Gloves and made three All-Star appearances with New York.

If not for this ill-advised trade, we wouldn't have this excellent Seinfeld episode.

INF Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Alex Rodriguez won the American League MVP award in 2003 for the Texas Rangers. He was entering his age-28 season.

However, the Rangers opted to trade him to the New York Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named later (Joaquin Arias).

The Rangers did so in part for salary relief. But they gave up one of the best players of his generation—performance-enhancing drug baggage aside—at the peak of his prime.

A-Rod hit 351 home runs, won a World Series and netted two more MVP awards during his 12-year tenure in the Bronx. Meanwhile, Soriano had two productive seasons with the Rangers before they traded him to the Washington Nationals for a so-so three-player package (Armando Galarraga, Terrmel Sledge and Brad Wilkerson).

LHP Randy Johnson from the Montreal Expos to the Seattle Mariners

Associated Press

Could Randy Johnson have saved professional baseball in Montreal? We'll never know, but it's a fascinating question to ponder.

In 1985, the Expos selected Johnson in the second round of the amateur draft. The lanky left-hander made 11 appearances with Montreal between 1988 and 1989 before the team traded him and two other pitching prospects to the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Mark Langston, who ended up making only 24 starts for the Expos.

Meanwhile, the Big Unit won a Cy Young Award with the Mariners in 1995 and four more Cy Youngs in succession with the Arizona Diamondbacks between 1999 and 2002. He ranks second all-time behind Nolan Ryan with 4,875 strikeouts.

Less than a full season of Langston for one of the most dominant southpaws in MLB history? Yeah, the Expos would like a redo on that one.

OF Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees

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You knew this was coming.

In 1920, the Boston Red Sox committed possibly the greatest blunder in the history of professional sports when they sent George Herman Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000.

At the time, Ruth was more of a pitcher than a slugger. But he'd go on to become one of the greatest hitters in MLB history with New York, swatting 714 career home runs and posting a 1.164 career OPS.

Adjusted for inflation, $100,000 in 1920 would be roughly $1.3 million in 2020. MLB's base salary is currently $563,500. That means the Red Sox gave up the Colossus of Clout for less than triple the current league minimum.

Sure, they finally busted the Curse of the Bambino in 2004 and have won two more championships since then. But this mishap will live in infamy forever.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference.