Worst trade for your team in the past 26 years

[Solair Wright]

From 1980 to 2006, there have been good trades and bad trades. Some trades are so bad, that it makes a 100 game losing season look good!

Here's one:
1994: LA DODGERS traded Pedro Martinez to the MONTREAL EXPOS for 2B Delino DeShields.
1987: DETROIT TIGERS sent rookie pitcher John Smoltz (at the time) to the ATLANTA BRAVES for Doyle Alexander.

Those are just two of the worst trades I saw. More will come later, but you can add some worst trades too.

[baseball-encyclopedia]

Yankees trade Fred McGriff (and Dave Collins) to the Blue Jays for Dale Murray.

A distant 2nd--Yankees trade Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps.

Also on the lousy list--Yankees trade nothing for Joe Girardi. Girardi finishes with the 2nd worst RCAA of any catcher in Yankees history, with the only thing preventing him from breaking the record is him losing the starting job to Posada. It's the typical subtraction by addition type of trade.

[KCGHOST]

The Royals traded David Cone to the Mets for Ed Hearn. I guess it was our atonement for the Amos Otis deal.

[Twisted Wicker]

It's definately gotta be Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz. I don't even know what else could come close.

[holyroman]

and..

how about Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson
or
Mark McGwire for TJ Matthews, Eric Ludwick, and Blake Stein.

[Evangelion]

how about Jeff Bagwell for Larry Anderson

Did he pitch 22 innings and only allowed 3 ER during his stay with Boston after that. Wasn't the Red Sox in a hunt for the division title that year, which they won by only 2 games ahead of the Blue Jays? Sure, the trade away Bagwell and I'm not trying to justify that, but at the time, the move did help the Red Sox bring in a very good reliever in Anderson.

Not saying it was a good trade by any means.

[RuthMayBond]

Ryne Sandberg AND Larry Bowa for Ivan DeJesus?
Steve Finley, Pete Harnisch AND Curt Schilling for Glenn Davis?
Brady Anderson AND Curt Schilling for Mike Boddicker?
Derek Lowe AND Jason Varitek for Heathcliff Slocumb?
Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo AND Joe Morgan for Lee May
Ken Brett, Dock Ellis AND Willie Randolph for Doc Medich
Mickey Vernon AND Early Wynn for Klieman/Haynes/ERobinson
Bret Butler, Brook Jacoby AND $150K for Len Barker

[Twisted Wicker]

Are we talking about looking back on the trade and seeing if it was bad, or at the time?

Like Evangelion said about the Sox, the same thing happened to the Tigers. Doyle Alexander, if I remember correctly, was actually a pretty good move for us at the time, and I think a few years after. Looking back it was terrible, as Smoltz is probably a HOF lock, but at the time, Smoltz was nothing, and Alexander could help our team.

Just something to think about.

[holyroman]

well if you wanna go that route how about the Astros getting Randy johnson who went like 10-1 for them down the stretch with like a 1.30 era. then says bye bye after the postseason. They gave up Freddy Garcia, John Halama, and Carlos Guillen. ouch

[pacewon]

Yankees trade Fred McGriff (and Dave Collins) to the Blue Jays for Dale Murray.

A distant 2nd--Yankees trade Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps.

Also on the lousy list--Yankees trade nothing for Joe Girardi. Girardi finishes with the 2nd worst RCAA of any catcher in Yankees history, with the only thing preventing him from breaking the record is him losing the starting job to Posada. It's the typical subtraction by addition type of trade.

To add onto the Yanks, Tony Armas Jr. for Mike Stanley was pretty bad since Armas was then used by Boston as a key piece in their deal to land Pedro Martinez.

[RuthMayBond]

To add onto the Yanks, Tony Armas Jr. for Mike Stanley was pretty bad since Armas was then used by Boston as a key piece in their deal to land Pedro Martinez.

Well, if we're gonna pile on the Yank$,
a bunch of unknown players, Cristian Guzman, Eric Milton AND $3 million for Chuck Knoblauch

Jerry Snyder, Spec Shea AND Jackie Jensen for Irv Noren and Tom Upton

Elmer Miller, Johnny Mitchell, Chick Fewster, Lefty O'Doul AND $50K for Elmer Smith & Joe Dugan

Willie McGee for Bob Sykes

[Dasperp]

a bunch of unknown players, Cristian Guzman, Eric Milton AND $3 million for Chuck Knoblauch

I would count this as a good trade. Knoblauch was a key part of the '98 and '99 championship teams while Guzman and Milton have had pretty awful careers. Last year i'd say Guzman was the worst hitter in the majors and Milton the worst pitcher.

[RuthMayBond]

I would count this as a good trade. Knoblauch was a key part of the '98 and '99 championship teams

You've never talked with ElHalo about Knoblauch's defense

[mojorisin71]

Did he pitch 22 innings and only allowed 3 ER during his stay with Boston after that. Wasn't the Red Sox in a hunt for the division title that year, which they won by only 2 games ahead of the Blue Jays? Sure, the trade away Bagwell and I'm not trying to justify that, but at the time, the move did help the Red Sox bring in a very good reliever in Anderson.

Not saying it was a good trade by any means.

If that's the case, I don't see how Pedro-for-Delino would be considered a "bad" trade, as Pedro was only being used as a middle reliever by the Dodgers.

I'd like to add John Franco for Rafael Landestoy.

[Dravecky43]

With the benefit of good ol' 20-20 hindsight one of the worst trades by the Giants was the late-2003 or early-2004 deal where Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser, and Francisco Liriano went to Minnesota for A.J. Pierzynski. I think we have all heard how that one has turned out for both sides.

But when the trade was made, it looked like this:

Giants get a proven All Star catcher with the ability to hit .300 and who was supposedly loved by teammates and hated by opponents.

Twins get a middle reliever who has talent and had a good 2003 in the ML pen but didn't live up to his "future top starter" billing, a former first round pick who was beginning to look like AAAA or middle reliever material, and a prospect lefty with great stuff who couldn't stay healthy AT ALL.