Weirdest Moments in MLB Offseason History

The MLB offseason is upon us and, of course, fans are going nuts over what could happen.  Players will change teams, Miguel Cabrera could be arrested again and maybe Terry Francona could find himself reunited with Theo Epstein in Chicago.

Yet, those potential happenings are all too conventional.  Personally, I want to see something outlandish and crazy.  To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, I mean crazy like Brian Wilson (pictured at left on Lopez Tonight).

If you think about it, past MLB offseasons have not been without their weird happenings.  Here are five that may stick out more than others.

5) Manny Ramirez Signs with Tampa Bay Rays

In 2010, Manny Ramirez had one of the worst seasons of his career.  He hit .298 in 90 games but had just nine home runs and 42 RBI.  Still, the Tampa Bay Rays chose to give him a one-year deal worth $2 million.

Um...OK.  Here we have a team looking to get younger and contend for a playoff spot in what is easily the toughest division in baseball, and team management goes out and signs a past-his-prime headcase for that much money?  Keep in mind, the Rays don't have a lot of money to begin with and that $2 million could have easily been used on a draft pick or effective role player.

Yet, everything turned out OK in terms of money.  Ramirez went 1-for-17 with an RBI in five games for the Rays before testing positive for a banned substance for the second time.  He subsequently retired instead of choosing to serve the 100-game suspension.

This wasn't weird in the most literal sense of the word, but the decision making behind signing Ramirez definitely made some of us fans scratch our heads.

4) Jeffrey Loria Trades Himself to the Marlins

Ever since joining the ranks of MLB owners in 1999, Jeffrey Loria has been known for two things: odd decisions and pissing people off.  The oddest one of all occurred in 2002, when he essentially traded himself to another team.

At the time, Loria owned the Montreal Expos and was losing a lot of money.  He couldn't get a deal for a new stadium, so he and commissioner Bud Selig orchestrated a deal.

Loria sold the Expos to "Expos Baseball, LP," which was basically all of the other MLB clubs.  He then purchased the Florida Marlins from John Henry, who then went on to buy the Boston Red Sox.  If you think about it, this was essentially a three-team trade that moved owners instead of players.

Not only was this business move completely unconventional and weird, but it was also kind of funny.  Seriously, who thinks of stuff like this?

3) The Ugueth Urbina Saga

This next occurrence isn't so much weird as it is disturbingly weird.  In November 2005, two-time All-Star relief pitcher Ugueth Urbina was arrested in his native Venezuela for attacking five farm workers on his property.  Believing that they had stolen from him, Urbina supposedly attacked the five men with a machete and also tried to pour gasoline on them so that he could set them on fire.

The case went to trial and on March 28, 2007, Urbina was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.  It just weirded the fans out that a pitcher known for being intimidating on the mound would take his demeanor to the next level and actually use it against others violently.

2) Brian Wilson's Appearance on Lopez Tonight

Brian Wilson is....you know what?  Words cannot do this occurrence justice.  Watch the video and get ready to laugh...HARD.

1) Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson Swap Families

In doing my research, I'll admit finding a weird offseason moment epic enough for the top spot was giving me trouble.  Suddenly, while I was spotting my friend at the gym, it came to me.  After I helped him lift the extremely heavy weight off of his chest, I ran home to type it up.

Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich were two pitchers on the New York Yankees in the early 1970s and off the field, they were the best of friends.  Their families regularly hung out together and everyone involved just got along well.  Thus, in 1972, they took it to a new level.

In October of that year, Peterson and Kekich essentially did a full family trade: wives, children and even dogs!  Peterson is still married to Susanne Kekich and has had four children with her, but things did not work out so well for his teammate.  Marilyn Peterson and Mike Kekich broke up soon after the swap.

The sad part is that while this seemed like a fun idea at the time, Peterson and Kekich were never close friends again following the swap.  Oddly enough, both ended up being traded to the Cleveland Indians within a year of each other.

Though it didn't have a happy ending for everyone involved, you can't deny that out of all weird stuff that has happened during the MLB offseason, this one definitely takes the cake.