MLB Trade Rumors: 30 Greatest Prospect Hauls in Baseball History

When a key player approaches free agency in the MLB, teams are faced with the tough decision of whether to bring him back, let him ride out his contract with the team or try to deal him for young talent.

For a team looking to rebuild, trading away a star player for a package of prospects is the best way to add to its corps of players. There is always risk when acquiring unproven players, but sometimes it works out better than anyone could have ever hoped.

Here is a look at the 30 greatest prospect hauls in baseball history, the trades that helped bolster a franchise with an infusion of young talent.

Honorable Mention: Indians Send Casey Blake to Dodgers for Carlos Santana

Date: July 26, 2008

Dodgers: 3B Casey Blake, Cash

Acquired to replace slumping rookies Blake DeWitt and Andy LaRoche, Blake hit .251 BA, 10 HR, 23 RBI in 58 games with the Dodgers in 2008, helping them reach the NLCS. He re-signed on a three-year, $17.5 million deal in the offseason and compiled a 9.7 WAR over the three-year span.

Indians: C/1B Carlos Santana, RP Jon Meloan

Ranked as the 10th best prospect in baseball heading into the 2008 season, Santana was hitting .323 BA, 14 HR, 96 RBI at the time of the deal and was still just 22 years old. He has given the Indians a middle-of-the-order presence for years to come, whether he stays behind the plate.

Angels Send Joe Hicks to Senators for Dean Chance

Date: Dec. 14, 1960

Senators: OF Joe Hicks

A 28-year-old backup outfielder, Joe Hicks was acquired by the Angels from the White Sox with the 42nd pick in the 1960 Expansion Draft. They then flipped him to the Senators for Dean Chance, and his career lasted three more uneventful years before he retired with a career line of .221 BA, 12 HR, 39 RBI.

Angels: SP Dean Chance

In trading for 20-year-old Chance, the Angels found a young pitcher to be a staple in the staff of their fledgling team. He joined the rotation for the 1962 season and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. In total, he went 74-66 with a 2.83 ERA in six seasons with the Angels, winning the Cy Young in 1964 when he went 20-9 with a league-best 1.65 ERA.

Padres Send Adam Eaton to Rangers for Adrian Gonzalez, Chris Young

Date: Jan. 6, 2006

Rangers: SP Adam Eaton, RP Akinori Otsuka, C Billy Killian

After winning 11 games in back-to-back seasons, Adam Eaton had established himself as a serviceable starter by the time he was dealt to the Rangers, but spent just one unimpressive season with the team before leaving in free agency.

The bigger acquisition was Akinori Otsuka, who stepped into the Rangers closer role and saved 32 games with a 2.11 ERA in his first season with the team. He served as a setup man the next season before going back to Japan.

Padres: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, SP Chris Young, OF Terrmel Sledge

A former No. 1 overall pick, Adrian Gonzalez spent time with two teams before finally finding a home with the Padres. In five seasons with the team, he averaged a line of .288 BA, 32 HR, 100 RBI before being traded to the Red Sox for a package or prospects that could one day crack this list.

Chris Young was 27 years old at the time of the trade, and coming off his first full season in the Rangers rotation. He spent five seasons in San Diego, going 33-25 with a 3.60 ERA.

Pirates Send Brian Giles to Padres for Jason Bay, Oliver Perez

Date: Aug. 26, 2003

Padres: LF Brian Giles

Acquired from the Indians for reliever Ricardo Rincon in one of the better deals in Pirates in history, Brian Giles spent five seasons with the Pirates and hit .308 BA, 165 HR, 506 RBI. As his free agency was coming due, the Pirates moved him to the Padres where he spent seven productive seasons before retiring. 

Pirates: CF Jason Bay, SP Oliver Perez, SP Corey Stewart

The Padres top prospect, Jason Bay was the centerpiece of the deal and in his first full season with the Pirates he hit .282 BA, 26 HR, 82 RBI and won NL Rookie of the Year. He remained with the Pirates for four-and-a-half seasons before being dealt to Red Sox as part of the Manny Ramirez deal.

Oliver Perez was a 21-year-old starter who was already a member of the Padres rotation at the time of the trade. He had a fantastic first full season with the team going 12-10, 2.98 ERA, 239 Ks, but was unable to build off of that and eventually traded to the Mets for Xavier Nady.

Indians Send Ed Taubensee to Astros for Kenny Lofton

Date: Dec. 10, 1991

Astros: C Ed Taubensee, RP Willie Blair

In a prospect for prospect trade, the Astros picked up 22-year-old catcher Ed Taubensee but after three seasons as a backup he was traded to Reds where he became a legitimate starter. Blair was an average reliever who spent one season in Houston before being taken by the Rockies in the Expansion Draft.

Indians: CF Kenny Lofton, UT Dave Rohde

A 24-year-old speedster who made his debut in 1991 with a 20-game cup of coffee, Lofton was one of the top prospects in baseball heading into the 1992 season as he opened the year as the Indians center fielder. He hit .285 and stole 66 bases to lead the AL as a rookie and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

He went on to be a staple at the top of the Indians rotation, leading the league in steals in each of his first four seasons. He spent eight of the first nine seasons of his career in Cleveland, making a one-year stop in Atlanta, and he goes down as one of the best lead-off hitters in recent memory.

Rangers Send Esteban Loaiza to Blue Jays for Michael Young

Date: July 19, 2000

Blue Jays: SP Esteban Loaiza

With a 44-45 record through five-and-a-half seasons, Esteban Loaiza was little more than a bottom-of-the-rotation starter. He would go 25-28 with a 4.96 ERA in three seasons with the Blue Jays before he left in free agency and won 21 games with the White Sox the following season. 

Rangers: SS Michael Young, RP Darwin Cubillan

For the Rangers, Michael Young stepped into a utility role in his first three seasons with the team before settling into the starting second base role in 2003. That season, he began a string of five straight .300 BA, 200 hit seasons as he is one of the best contact hitters of recent years and perhaps the greatest Rangers player of all-time.

Twins Send A.J. Pierzynski to Giants for Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano

Date: Nov. 14, 2003

Giants: C A.J. Pierzynski, Cash

With Joe Mauer ready to go, the Twins made A.J. Pierzynski available and coming off a .312 BA, 11 HR, 74 RBI season, he was in demand. The Giants pulled the trigger on a big deal and he had another solid season hitting .272 BA, 11 HR, 72 RBI, but got into it with teammates and coaches and ended up being released as the trade turned out to be a disaster. 

Twins: CP Joe Nathan, SP Francisco Liriano, SP Boof Bonser

At the time of the trade, Nathan was a 28-year-old reliever who was coming off a season in which he made 78 appearances and went 12-4 with a 2.96 ERA as a middle reliever. Upon his arrival in Minnesota, he was immediately made closer and he saved 44 games in his first season, and 260 games with a 2.16 ERA in total over his seven seasons with the team.

Liriano was the big prospect of the deal, and he went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA as a 22-year-old rookie as he took baseball by storm. He underwent Tommy John surgery the following season though and has been up-and-down since then.

Royals Send Joe Foy to Mets for Amos Otis, Bob Johnson

Date: Dec. 3, 1969

Mets: UT Joe Foy

One of the most versatile players in the game at the time, Joe Foy hit .262 BA, 11 HR, 71 RBI, 37 SB in 1969 while playing seven different positions. His average dropped off significantly following the trade though, and he was out of baseball by the end of the 1971 season.

Royals: CF Amos Otis, SP Bob Johnson

While not technically a prospect, pitcher Bob Johnson had just two appearances under his belt when he was traded to the Royals. He went 8-13 with a 3.07 ERA in his one season in Kansas City before being sent to Pittsburgh in the deal that brought shortstop Freddie Patek to the team.

The real score of the deal was center fielder Amos Otis. The 23-year-old was an All-Star in his first season with the Royals and went on to hit .280 BA, 193 HR, 992 RBI, 340 SB while making five All-Star teams in 14 seasons with the team.

Mets Send Lee Mazzilli to Rangers for Ron Darling

Date: April 1, 1982

Rangers: OF Lee Mazzilli

A former first-round pick, Lee Mazzilli posted an average line of .277 BA, 13 HR, 66 RBI, 29 SB in his four full seasons and made one All-Star appearance. When the 27-year-old was traded to the Rangers prior to the 1982 season, but spent just a half a season with the team before he was again dealt to the Yankees for Bucky Dent. 

Mets: SP Ron Darling, SP Walt Terrell

Just 21 years old at the time of the trade, Ron Darling was the Rangers first-round pick in 1981 and a highly touted prospect. He joined the rotation in 1984, and in nine seasons with the Mets he went 99-70 with a 3.50 ERA.

Walt Terrell spent just two seasons in the Mets rotation, but was dealt to the Tigers in another significant move when the team acquired Howard Johnson.

Indians Send Bartolo Colon to Expos for Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee

Date: June 27, 2002

Expos: SP Bartolo Colon, P Tim Drew

Coming off of a 68-94 season the previous year, the Expos found themselves just 6.5 games out of first place and decided to make a serious push for the playoffs. They moved three of their top prospects and acquired the top arm on the market in Bartolo Colon from the Indians.

He went 10-4 in his 17 starts with a 3.31 ERA, but the team fell off badly and finished 12.5 games out of the Wild Card. Colon was traded in the offseason to the White Sox for Orlando Hernandez and a pair of prospects.

Indians: CF Grady Sizemore, SP Cliff Lee, 2B Brandon Phillips, 1B Lee Stevens

The Expos paid dearly for Colon, sending their three top prospects over in the deal. Sizemore, who was still in the low levels of the minors was only beginning to tap into his potential, would become the Indians center fielder and face of the franchise as a 30-30 threat before injuries derailed his career.

Phillips, ranked as the team's top prospect and No. 7 overall prospect in baseball, never quite caught on in Cleveland and was sent to the Reds for reliever Jeff Stevens where he has become on of the game's top second baseman.

Lee was perhaps the most successful of the group with the Indians, as he won 83 games in eight seasons and went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 2008 to win AL Cy Young. He was eventually traded to the Phillies for a trio of prospects who are beginning to make an impact with the Indians now.

Dodgers Send Milton Bradley to Athletics for Andre Ethier

Date: Dec. 13, 2005

Athletics: RF Milton Bradley, UT Antonio Perez

Looking to win now, the Athletics were in need of an outfielder heading into 2006 with Bobby Kielty gone, and they made a deal for Milton Bradley of the Dodgers. He was coming off a .290 BA, 13 HR, 38 RBI season and had proven to be injury-prone but had also shown terrific on-base skills and was an impact bat when healthy.

Dodgers: RF Andre Ethier

Taken in the second round of the 2003 MLB Draft, Ethier was the 89th overall prospect heading into the 2006 season after a .317 BA, 18 HR, 82 RBI season the previous season between Double-A and Triple-A.

After 25 games at Triple-A, he was called up to the Dodgers and went on to hit .308 BA, 11 HR, 55 RBI and finish fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He has since become one of the best hitters in the NL and has been an All-Star in back-to-back seasons.

Marlins Send Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell to Marlins for Hanley Ramirez

Date: Nov. 24, 2005

Red Sox: SP Josh Beckett, 3B Mike Lowell, RP Guillermo Mota

The signature trade in the building of the Red Sox second World Series team, Josh Beckett stepped in to replace the departed Curt Schilling at the top of the rotation while Mike Lowell gave them another power bat in the middle of the lineup and shored up third base.

Beckett would win ALCS MVP and Lowell would take World Series MVP as the Red Sox won it all in 2007.

Marlins: SS Hanley Ramirez, SP Anibal Sanchez, RP Jesus Delgado, RP Harvey Garcia

With a small payroll, the Marlins once again had to tear down their team and trade off the expensive pieces, and despite losing quite a bit in this deal, they made the most of it with who they acquired.

Ramirez was among the top prospects in baseball and immediately gave the Marlins offense a boost as he hit .292 BA, 17 HR, 59 RBI, 51 SB to capture NL Rookie of the Year. He has since emerged as one of the top power-speed threats in all of baseball.

The other key acquisition was Anibal Sanchez, as he joined the rotation midway through 2006 and went 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA. Now a rotation staple, he has a career record of 39-38 with a 3.72 ERA.

Mariners Send Ken Phelps to Yankees for Jay Buhner

Date: July 21, 1988

Yankees: DH Ken Phelps

With 98 home runs in four his final four-and-a-half seasons with the Mariners, 33-year-old Ken Phelps was a proven home run threat when the Yankees traded for him in at the deadline and he had 10 HR and 22 RBI in 45 games. The following season he was traded to the Athletics for a career minor leaguer.

Mariners: RF Jay Buhner, SP Rich Balabon, SP Troy Evers

Buhner served as a part-time player for two years following the trade before taking over the Mariners starting right field job in 1991. In all, he played 14 seasons with the Mariners and hit .255 BA, 307 HR, 951 RBI as one of the most feared power hitters of the 1990s.

Yankees Send Willie Randolph to the Pirates for Doc Medich

Date: Dec. 11, 1975

Pirates: SP Doc Medich

A full-time member of the Yankees rotation at the age of 24, Medich went 49-40 with a 3.37 ERA in his three full seasons before being dealt to the Pirates. He spent just one year with the Pirates before being traded again to the Athletics in a nine-player deal.

Yankees: 2B Willie Randolph, SP Dock Ellis, SP Ken Brett

After spending just 30 games with the Pirates, then 21-year-old Willie Randolph was sent to the Yankees where he went on to spend 13 seasons and hit .275 BA, 48 HR, 549 RBI, 1027 R while making five All-Star teams.

Ellis, despite being 32 years old, still had something left as he went 17-8 with a 3.19 ERA in his first season in New York. He was traded the following season in a package for another pitcher in Mike Torrez.

Cardinals Send Bob Sykes to Yankees for Willie McGee

Date: Oct. 21, 1981

Yankees: SP Bob Sykes

A 26-year-old left-hander with a career record of 23-26 with a 4.65 ERA, the Yankees saw something in Sykes when they traded for him heading into the 1982 season. He never pitched for the Yankees though, posting a sub-par season between Double-A and Triple-A and then retiring the following season.

Cardinals: CF Willie McGee

After a brief stop in the minors after being acquired, Willie McGee became the Cardinals everyday center fielder and hit .296 his first season to finish third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He would go on to make four All-Star appearances in nine seasons with the Cardinals, winning a pair of batting titles and 1985 MVP when he hit .353 BA, 10 HR, 82 RBI, 56 SB.

Twins Send Frank Viola to Mets for Kevin Tapani, Rick Aguilera

Date: July 31, 1989

Mets: SP Frank Viola

After winning 112 games over eight seasons with the Twins, Frank Viola was put on the market and acquired by the Mets who were pushing for the playoffs. He went 5-5 with a 3.38 ERA in 12 starts down the stretch, but the Mets fell short. The following season he won 20 games and finished third in Cy Young voting, and he spent one more season in New York before leaving in free agency.

Twins: SP Kevin Tapani, RP Rick Aguilera, RP Tim Drummond, RP David West

After serving as a middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Mets over parts of five seasons, but upon his arrival in Minnesota, he stepped into the closer's role and saved 254 games in 11 seasons while making three All-Star games.

Perhaps the biggest acquisition in the deal though was Kevin Tapani, as he stepped into the Twins rotation starting in 1990 and went 73-61 in parts of six seasons as a starter and won double-digits each season.

Reds Send Frank Duffy to Giants for George Foster

Date: May 29, 1971

Giants: SS Frank Duffy, RP Vern Geishert

With a crowded outfield and no shortstop, the Giants traded for Frank Duffy of the Reds but he appeared in just 21 games before being packaged in the offseason with Gaylord Perry for Sam McDowell. 

Reds: LF George Foster

At 22 years old, and with just 54 big league games in three seasons under his belt, there was no reason to think George Foster would one day be an impact slugger on the best team in baseball but that is just what he became.

In 11 seasons with the Reds, Foster hit .286 BA, 244 HR, 861 RBI and won the 1977 NL MVP when he hit .320 BA, 52 HR, 149 RBI back when it actually meant something to hit 50 home runs.

Rockies Send Matt Holliday to Athletics for Carlos Gonzalez, Huston Street

Date: Nov. 10, 2008

Athletics: LF Matt Holliday

Following a fantastic five-year stretch, the Rockies made Matt Holliday available and the Athletics put together a package they could not turn down. However, he spent just 93 games with the A's before being dealt again to the Cardinals. 

Rockies: CF Carlos Gonzalez, CP Huston Street, SP Greg Smith

Replacing someone like Holliday is never easy, but the Rockies struck gold when they acquired Carlos Gonzalez as he exploded for a monster season in 2010 and earned a big extension through 2017.

Street, a former first-round pick and AL Rookie of the Year, has stepped into the closer's role for the Rockies and saved 84 games in three seasons while posting a 3.50 ERA.

White Sox Send Mike Cameron to Reds for Paul Konerko

Date: Nov. 11, 1998

Reds: CF Mike Cameron

A talented five-tool outfielder, Mike Cameron had the potential to be a star player but struck out a ton and in the end the White Sox decided to move him when his value was highest. After one season with the Reds, he was traded again as the centerpiece of the deal that brought Ken Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati. 

White Sox: 1B Paul Konerko

The No. 2 overall prospect heading into following a .323 BA, 37 HR, 127 RBI season at Triple-A, Konerko was traded to the Reds for closer Jeff Shaw during the 1998 season but then moved to the Reds in the offseason. He has spent 13 seasons with the White Sox, hitting .284 BA, 389 HR, 1232 RBI as the face of the franchise.

Cardianls Send JD Drew to Braves for Adam Wainwright, Jason Marquis

Date: Dec. 13, 2003

Braves: RF JD Drew, UT Eli Marrero

In need of a power bat to replace Gary Sheffield in right field, the Braves packaged some impressive young pitchers to the Cardinals for 27-year-old J.D. Drew who had been very productive in six seasons in St. Louis. He had the best season of his career in his one season in Atlanta, hitting .305 BA, 31 HR, 93 RBI and finishing sixth in MVP voting before heading to the Dodgers in free agency.

Marrero was more than just a throw-in as well, as he hit .320 BA, 10 HR, 40 RBI as the Braves top bat off the bench. He was traded to the Royals after one season.

Cardinals: SP Adam Wainwright, SP Jason Marquis, RP Ray King

Marquis was the first to make an impact for the Cardinals, as he joined the rotation immediately and went 15-7 with a 3.71 ERA. In total he went 42-37 with a 4.60 ERA in three season before signing with the Cubs in free agency.

King was already an established reliever at the time of the trade, but became the go-to lefty specialist of the Cardinals, appearing in 163 games in two seasons and posting a 2.91 ERA.

Wainwright was the true prospect haul of the trade though, as he was just 23 at the time of the deal and a very highly touted prospect. He was began his career as a reliever in 2006 and served as the Cardinals closer in the postseason on their way to a World Series title. He then joined the rotation the next season and has gone 64-34 with a 2.93 ERA in four seasons in the rotation.

White Sox Send Aaron Robinson to Tigers for Billy Pierce

Date: Nov. 10, 1948

Tigers: C Aaron Robinson

In need of a starting catcher, the Tigers acquired 33-year-old former All-Star Aaron Robinson from the White Sox prior to the 1949 season. He put together a solid first season with Detroit, hitting .269 BA, 13 HR, 56 RBI, but he fell off sharply after that and would be out of the league by the end of the 1951 season.

White Sox: SP Billy Pierce, $10,000

In return, the White Sox got 21-year-old left-hander Billy Pierce who had just 27 big league appearances (five starts) under his belt. He immediately jumped into the White Sox rotation, and would go on to win 186 games with a 3.19 ERA in 13 seasons on the South Side.

Indians Send Joe Carter to the Padres for Sandy Alomar, Carlos Baerga

Date: Dec. 6, 1989

Padres: RF Joe Carter

Looking to add some pop, the Padres dealt for slugger Joe Carter heading into the 1990 season. He had a respectable season, hitting .232 BA, 24 HR, 115 RBI to finish 17th in MVP voting. The team then turned around and traded him and Roberto Alomar to the Blue Jays for Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff in a move that set up Toronto for their back-to-back titles.

Indians: C Sandy Alomar Jr, 2B Carlos Baerga, DH Chris James

The only proven entity of the trade was Chris James, who had double-digit home runs in the previous three seasons. He had a big first year in Cleveland, hitting .299 BA, 12 HR, 70 RBI but he did little else the remainder of his career.

Baerga served as the team's utility infielder in 1990 at the age of 21, and by the following season he was a starter. He became one of the top offensive second baseman averaging .315 BA, 19 HR, 97 RBI over a four year span.

Alomar had played just eight big league games, but stepped in as the Indians starting catcher in 1990 and hit .290 BA, 9 HR, 66 RBI while being named to the All-Star team, winning the Gold Glove and taking home Rookie of the Year honors. He spent 11 seasons as the Indians starting catcher, making six All-Star teams.

Rangers Send Mark Teixeira to Braves for Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz

Date: July 31, 2007

Braves: 1B Mark Teixeira, RP Ron Mahay

In the midst of a playoff push, the Braves decided to go for it and dealt a handful of their top prospects for Rangers slugger Mark Teixeira. He went on to hit .317 BA, 17 HR, 56 RBI in just 54 games, but in the end the Braves did not make the postseason. He was traded midway through the next season to the Angels for first base prospect Casey Kotchman.

Rangers: CP Neftali Feliz, SS Elvis Andrus, SP Matt Harrison, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, RP Beau Jones

This trade is a big reason why the Rangers have won back-to-back AL pennants as it gave them three key contributors.

A top starting pitching prospect, Neftali Feliz was shifted to the closer's role for the 2010 season as he opened his rookie year in the bullpen. He went on to make the All-Star team and won AL Rookie of the Year with a whopping 40 saves. In two seasons as the stopper now, he has 72 saves and a 2.73 ERA.

Andrus, a slick fielding shortstop whose offense was a question mark at the time of the trade, has been a staple at shortstop since 2009. His rookie season he hit .267 and stole 33 bases while playing superb defense to finish second in Rookie of the Year voting, and it has been much of the same since.

Harrison joined the Rangers rotation midway through the 2008 season, but truly broke out this past season when he went 14-9 with a 3.39 ERA and he should be a rotation staple for the next several seasons.

White Sox Send Joe Tipton to Athletics for Nellie Fox

Date: Oct. 19, 1949

Athletics: C Joe Tipton

A backup catcher for two seasons with the White Sox, Tipton hit a combined .231 BA, 4 HR, 32 RBI before being trade at the age of 27. He continued to serve as a backup, and spent just two-and-a-half years with the Athletics. 

White Sox: 2B Nellie Fox

In three seasons with the Athletics, Nellie Fox played just 98 games and never really found a role before he was traded as a 22-year-old. Once he got to Chicago his career took off as he made 12 All-Star teams and took home the 1959 AL MVP on his way to Hall of Fame induction.

Braves Send Doyle Alexander to Tigers for John Smoltz

Date: Aug. 12, 1987

Tigers: SP Doyle Alexander

Pushing for a playoff spot, the Tigers were in need of a solid fourth starter and acquired 36-year-old veteran Doyle Alexander from the Braves. He was phenomenal down the stretch, making 11 starts and going 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA. He retired two years later, but certainly did his part for the 1987 team.

Braves: SP John Smoltz

A former 22nd-round pick, Smoltz has done nothing to show he would be a future ace through one and a half minor league season. However, in his first season in the Braves system he went 10-5 with a 2.79 ERA.

He joined the Braves rotation in 1989 and made the All-Star team in his first season. He went on to pitch 20 seasons in Atlanta, going 213-155 with 154 saves and a 3.33 ERA in what could very well end up being a Hall of Fame career.

Red Sox Send Heathcliff Slocumb to Mariners for Jason Varitek, Derek Lowe

Date: July 31, 1997

Mariners: CP Heathcliff Slocumb

With closer Norm Charlton struggling to the tune of a 7.27 ERA, the contending Mariners made a move to acquire Heathcliff Slocumb from the Red Sox. He was a suitable replacement for Charlton saving 10 games with a 4.13 ERA while striking out a batter an inning, as the Mariners won the AL West but bowed out of the playoffs in the first round.

Red Sox: C Jason Varitek, SP Derek Lowe

A top-tier catching prospect Varitek was the Red Sox starting catcher by the 1999 season and he spent 15 seasons with the team, making a trio of All-Star teams and handling the pitching staff phenomenally as team captain.

Lowe, coincidentally, turned into the closer that the Mariners were looking for as he saved 81 games in three seasons as the Red Sox stopper before moving the rotation where he won 52 games in three season, including 21 in his first season as a starter.

Mariners Send Mark Langston to Expos for Randy Johnson

Date: May 25, 1989

Expos: SP Mark Langston, SP Mike Campbell

One of the top strikeout pitchers in all of baseball, Mark Langston went 74-67 with a 4.01 ERA in six seasons with the Expos, while leading the NL in strikeouts three different times. 

Mariners: SP Randy Johnson, SP Brian Holman, RP Gene Harris

A wild but hard-throwing left-hander who showed flashes in a season and a half with the Expos, Randy Johnson stepped right into the Mariners rotation and made the All-Star team in his first full season with the team.

In the end he went 130-74 with a 3.42 ERA in 10 years with the team, and won the 1995 AL Cy Young before being dealt to the Astros for Freddy Garcia and Carlos Guillen.

Brian Holman also brought some return, as he went 24-25 with a 3.86 ERA in two seasons in the Mariners rotation.

Cubs Send Larry Jackson to Phillies for Fergie Jenkins

Date: April 21, 1966

Phillies: SP Larry Jackson, SP Bob Buhl

Looking to add a veteran starter, the Phillies acquired Larry Jackson from the Cubs. In parts of 12 seasons, the 35-year-old Jackson had tallied 152 wins and was just two years removed from a 24-win season. He would go 41-45 with a 2.95 ERA in three seasons in Philadelphia before retiring.

Cubs: SP Fergie Jenkins, CF Adolfo Phillips, OF John Herrnstein

A 23-year-old with just eight appearances under his belt at the time of the trade, Fergie Jenkins served as a swingman with the Cubs after the trade but joined the rotation the following season. He would win at least 20 games each of his first six seasons in the rotation and he had compiled a 141-100 record with a 3.11 ERA by the time he was traded to the Rangers in 1973.

The team also picked up a solid center fielder in Adolfo Phillips, who served as the teams starter in 1967 and 1968 and posted an 8.4 WAR over that stretch.

Astros Send Larry Anderson to Red Sox for Jeff Bagwell

Date: Aug. 30, 1990

Red Sox: RP Larry Anderson

With a 6.5 games lead in the division, the Red Sox made a move to bolster their bullpen in 1990 acquiring Astros veteran reliever Larry Anderson who was in the midst of a stellar season with a 1.95 ERA in 73.2 innings of work. He was even better post trade, with a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings, but the Red Sox were swept in the first round of the playoffs and he was gone in free agency the next season.

Astros: 1B Jeff Bagwell

A fourth-round selection by the Red Sox in the 1989 MLB Draft, Jeff Bagwell hit .333 BA, 4 HR, 61 RBI in what was his first pro season in 1990. The following season, the Astros made him their starting first baseman and he hit .294 BA, 15 HR, 82 RBI to win NL Rookie of the Year.

Before all was said and done, he had a career line of .297/.408/.540, 449 HR, 1,529 RBI over his 15-year career, all of which was spent with the Astros.

Naps Send Bris Lord to Athletics for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson

Date: July 30, 1910

Athletics: OF Bris Lord

In a deal that looks relatively insignificant at the time, as the Athletics acquired a 26-year-old outfielder who had never been much more than a fourth outfielder in Bris Lord for a pair of unknowns. Lord had a breakout season in his first full season with the A's, hitting .310 BA, 3 HR, 55 RBI to finish 14th in MVP voting, but he was out of the league two years later.

Naps: OF "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, 2B Morrie Rath

A light-hitting second baseman named Morrie Rath was the original compensation for Lord, with the Athletics including a player to be named in the deal, and that player turned out to be 22-year-old outfielder Joe Jackson.

In 40 at bats over the previous two seasons he had hit just .150, but quickly showed potential hitting .387 in 20 games after the trade. He then exploded into one of the best hitters of all-time, hitting .408 with 83 RBI in his first full season and finishing in the top ten in MVP voting in all four of his full seasons with the team before being traded to the White Sox.

Giants Send Amos Rusie to Reds for Christy Mathewson

Date: Dec. 15, 1900

Reds: SP Amos Rusie

Coming off a 62-77 season, the Reds traded for 30-year-old veteran Amos Rusie who already had 246 wins to his credit and would one day be a Hall of Famer to help bolster their rotation. However, he would appear in just three games with the Reds and post an 8.59 ERA before retiring.

Giants: SP Christy Mathewson

Generally trading for a 30-year-old future Hall of Famer is a good idea, but it couldn't have gone worse for the Reds as they gave up one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history in a 20-year-old Christy Mathewson. He would go on to win 373 games with a 2.13 ERA over his sparkling 17-year career.