Trades Of The Decade: Runners Up

Well, if I remember right, the third team was the Astros. They sent Carlos Beltran to the Astros who in turn sent him to the ASTROS. REMEMBER!!?!?!?!

lol, it was the a's wasnt it?

Possibly the biggest deal of the decade was left off this list. Back in 2005 when the Boston Red Sox sent SS Hanley Ramirez, P Anibal Sanchez, and P Jesus Delgado to the Florida Marlins for SP Josh Beckett, 3B Mike Lowell, and RP Guillermo Mota.

Did you guys really leave Alex Rodriguez for Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named OFF this list?

Wasn't the Reds deal to get Griffey in early 2000.

Joe Nathan anybody?

While those trades all fit in well, I think the decision as to whether Cliff Lee belongs on this list or the later list, of the real trades of the decade, ought to have been held off until after the postseason is over. If Lee helps the Phillies to a World Series, it almost certainly should be moved up to the list of the best.

And I think, from its absence, the Phils acquiring Brad Lidge has to be on the big list.

Steve Finley for Edgardo Alfatso!

I guess I'll be the anal-retentive smeghead who starts the whole "2000-2009" decade vs. the "2001-2010" decade. ;)

Then again, a decade is a grouping of any 10 years, so I guess we're all right--the decade of the 2000s probably is 2000-2009, even if the century and millenium began in 2001.

But, then again, most people start counting at 1, which is why many say that the Yankees haven't won a World series this decade(and they're right).

Can open, worms are getting out. :D

And, oh yes, the Bedard trade to the Orioles should definitely have been in the post.

How about Alex Rodriguez for Alfonso Soriano?

"Joe Nathan anybody?"

Agreed, steal of the decade even if Liriano is turning out to be a one-hit wonder.

But based on that list, only 3 of those trades directly lead to a team winning the series... strangely 2 of them were Curt Schilling trades. I can't remember who the Dbacks sacrificed for Schill and I don't feel like doing the research... so if they gave up less than the Red Sox (best piece turned out to be Brandon Lyon) then it's the best on the list, otherwise it's the Sox/Schill trade.

I wonder if the Jim Edmonds deal will make the list. Edmonds was traded to the Cardinals for Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy. This took place before the '00 season, so I'm not sure if it happened after the turn of the century, but it was a big deal at the time. Edmonds holds all of the Cardinals NLDS hitting records (there's a piece on stltoday.com) and Kennedy at the time was a highly touted prospect and Bottenfield just came off of an 18 win season...

No Bartolo Colon to the Expos in 2002?

Ben,
How is the 2004 A's-Cardinals trade not on this list? Mark Mulder for Kiko Calero, Dan Haren, and Daric Barton. Mulder had an impact in the Cards 2005 NLCS run but then had a large negative impact on the team's rotation in 2006 and 2007. And Dan Haren was instrumental in the 2006 A's ALCS run and has been one of the best pitchers in the league the last 3-4 years.

Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos for Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore and Lee Stevens. Who were the master scouts for the Indians in that trade???

manny ramirez anybody?

You'd think that some of us would actually read the whole post and get that this is a list of runnerups.

Sounds like we may have hinted to some of the winners too.

Over a decade later I still cant believe Bottenfield gets Edmonds...

Ben,

now you know for future reference you can't do two seperate lists because half the posts will be people complaining about "their trade" not being listed and the other half will be people yelling at them for not reading.

But based on that list, only 3 of those trades directly lead to a team winning the series... strangely 2 of them were Curt Schilling trades. I can't remember who the Dbacks sacrificed for Schill and I don't feel like doing the research... so if they gave up less than the Red Sox (best piece turned out to be Brandon Lyon) then it's the best on the list, otherwise it's the Sox/Schill trade.

Posted by: start_wearing_purple | October 21, 2009 at 09:22 PM

if the phils can lock this game down you could have a 50/50 shot of the Lee trade being added to that list of yours.

Oh and it was Omar daal, Travis Lee and I believe Vicente padilla??? going for memory there.

If the Cubs are somehow able to trade Bradley for anything more than a box of sunflower seeds, I contend it's the coup of the decade.

It also got the Giants to the World Series a year later and playoffs after that.

Gotta admit, I was surprised to see Schilling to the D-Backs as a 'runner-up'. That is the biggest trade on this runner-up list, so it'll be interesting to see what trades were better.

Add another Ranger horrible trade we traded Carlos Pena for Gerald Laird and Ryan Ludwick in 2002. Would have worked out if they haven't of gave up on Ludwick

Don't even get me started on the Jermaine Dye trade...the Royals get Neifi "good for nothing" Perez. A one year dud.

I think we're missing a pretty big one here:
Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett to the Red Sox in exchange for Hanley Ramirez & other prospects in November 2005

"Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett to the Red Sox in exchange for Hanley Ramirez & other prospects in November 2005"

If the criteria is "best trade that benefited both sides" then sure it was a great trade where both teams benefited. Otherwise, not the greatest trade of the decade.

Really, MLBTR? The Manny trade last season couldn't even make your list? That was HUGE!

No question in my mind. 2002: Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew for Lee Stevens, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, and Brandon Phillips. Maybe the Nationals would be a contender if not for that deal. Maybe the Phils wouldn't be in the WS this year.

Beane's hudson trade was bad, unfortunately it took other teams later on for cruz/meyer to be solid relievers. charles Thomas was a fluke

At least the mulder deal keeps on giving...

Calero- solid reliever for 2 yrs, but injuries, had a great comeback in 09 for marlins

Barton-24 yrs old, might be a solid hitter

Haren- very good pitcher for 3 seasons

Then turned haren into- anderson/cargon/carter/cunningham/smith/eveland

smith/street/cargon into 4 months of holliday + wallace mortensen/peterson

finally tally:

for mulder and street

3 seasons of haren
4 months of holliday
a couple seasons of calero
carter/barton/cunningham/wallace/peterson/mortensen
anderson/eveland

This is so right:

"Ben,

now you know for future reference you can't do two seperate lists because half the posts will be people complaining about "their trade" not being listed and the other half will be people yelling at them for not reading."

Congrats on winning the NL, btw, Philswhatevertheheckyournameis

Maybe AJ for nathan, liriano, and boof bonser... Lol

How did you forget that?

Gotta be A-Gonz and Young for Adam Freakin Eaton. TERRRRRIBLE

Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips for Bartolo Colon may be the biggest trade and it does not even make the list!?!?!? Lame. I mean two future CY Young winners were traded for each other AND Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips were part of the deal. How does it get bigger??

people must not read lol

People, it's abundantly obvious that they're going to do detailed posts on the very biggest trades, they said it in this post.

Here are the main ones that will have posts on them, from what I've surmised:

-Pierzynski for Nathan, Liriano and Bonser

-Colon for Sizemore, Lee, Phillips and Stevens

-Mulder for Haren, Calero and Barton

-Beckett, Mota and Lowell for Ramirez, Sanchez, Garcia and Delgado

-Alex Rodriguez for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias

-Haren and Robertson for Anderson, Gonzalez, Eveland, Smith, Carter and Cunningham

-Bedard for Jones, Sherrill, Tillman, Mickolio and Butler

-Teixeira for Salty, Andrus, Harrison, Feliz and Jones

-Sexson and Nance for Overbay, Capuano, De La Rosa, Spivey, Moeller and Counsell

-Drew and Marrero for Marquis, Wainwright, and King

-Alomar, Backsik and Peoples for Escobar, Lawton, Riggan, Traber and Snyder

-Hampton and Pierre for Wilson, Johnson, Darensbourg and Ozuna

-Justice for Day, Westbrook and Ledee

And of course:

Griffey Jr. for Cameron, Tomko, Perez and Meyer

Those were the most obvious omissions that I saw.

The only noteworthy player who headed back to Philadelphia in the Schilling-to-DBacks trade was Vicente Padilla. Travis Lee and Omar Daal are two names I don't think anyone will remember. Nelson Figueroa fits in that category also.

Meanwhile, Schilling waives his right to demand a trade the following season (vote of confidence there). Good thing, because he and Randy Johnson would lead the Diamondbacks to a World Series title. Schilling would win 45 games between 2001 and 2002 and finished second in Cy Young votes to Randy Johnson in both years.

That 2000 transaction is by far the best deal on this list of runners-up and blows other premature/mediocre deals like Lee-to-Phillies out of the water.

Scott Kazmir + Jose Diaz
for
Victor Zambrano + Bartolome Fortunato

Enough Said, worked out pretty well for TB (Kazmir pitched to the tune of a 3.61 ERA over 723 IP for the Rays in the AL East)and they then added prospects by dealing him.

Meanwhole Zambrano over his stellar Mets Career -

187 IP
4.46 ERA, 1.508 WHIP
8 wins - 14 loses

The two throw ins on each end (Fortunato and Diaz have not amounted to anything)

Regardless, I would say for a trade that still lingers in the eyes of Mets fans, it was a real good one for the Rays.

Hmm, the Cabrera/Willis for Miller/Maybin + 4 others didn't make the list for top 10? That was one of the biggest trades in the 07 offseason

Add another Ranger horrible trade we traded Carlos Pena for Gerald Laird and Ryan Ludwick in 2002. Would have worked out if they haven't of gave up on Ludwick

Posted by: Rangerfan | October 21, 2009 at 11:14 PM

Holy Crap!!! I never really followed MLB farm systems and their prospects until about 3 yrs ago....So let me get this straight...The Rangers had Texiera, A.Gonzalez, Pena, Davis, and Smoak?

Thats insane, I had no idea!

Add Travis Hafner to that bunch too we traded him to the Indians for Ryan Drese

Delmon Young and Brendan Harris for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett has to be on this list of runners up.