The Padres-Blue Jays Trade of 1990

[hairmetalfreek]

This was one of the biggest blockbuster trades of my lifetime, in which star players were traded for star players. Who got the better end of the deal?

December 5, 1990: The San Diego Padres traded Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter to the Toronto Blue Jays for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez.

[Gee Walker]

San Diego got very little in that deal. Fernandez stayed for two mediocre years, with OPS+ below 100, and was traded to the Mets for next to nothing. McGriff had a little more than 2 1/2 years with the Padres, playing very well, but he was ultimately traded to Atlanta for - wait for it - Melvin Nieves.

The Blue Jays got five excellent years of Alomar's career, with him making the All-Star game every year and three times finishing 6th in the MVP voting. Alomar has stated that if he makes the Hall of Fame, it will be as a Blue Jay. Carter stayed in Toronto for seven years, the first four of which he was a very effective player. He was an all-star five times with the Jays. He probably didn't deserve his 3rd and 5th placements in the MVP voting, but he was certainly one of the core players on a mini-dynasty.

[Colorado Express]

Toronto definitely got the best of that trade.

[BSmile]

Without that trade it's hard to imagine Toronto winning back-to-back titles in 1992-93. Actually, it's impossible to imagine. Toronto got the better of that deal by far. The rings say it all....

[hairmetalfreek]

With 20/20 hindsight, I agree that Toronto got the better end. Even at the time, I was surprised the Padres were willing to trade Alomar, but wasn't sure then who came out on top. I thought McGriff was severely underrated while in Toronto.

[brett]

With 20/20 hindsight, I agree that Toronto got the better end. Even at the time, I was surprised the Padres were willing to trade Alomar,

If anyone had figured that Fernandez would drop off so fast your right, but from '85-'90 he was actually a hall of fame level player with Toronto.

Not that anyone realized it at the time but in 1990 he had a WARP III of 11.1, and 57.5 over 6 years from '85-'90. That is absolutely huge and if he had aged like Ozzie Smith, he would have been a top 10 and maybe a top 5 all time shortstop.

[sturg1dj]

just look at who took the players' places on each team

Toronto
1B - John Olerud
SS - Manny Lee (not bad, not great...solid)


San Diego
CF (Joe Carter played CF for the Padres in 1990) - Darren Jackson
2B - Bip Roberts (another good player)


I would say Toronto was fine without McGriff and Fernandez

San Diego were not fine without Alomar and Carter


edit: actually looking at the stats Manny Lee was pretty bad. I remember him being a defensive whiz, but the stats don't back it up