MLB Network is counting down the 9 most lopsided trades of all time

[Frobby]

I figure the Glenn Davis and Frank Robinson trades must be in here.

[JohnnyK27]

What about the Bedard deal ???

[Frobby]

The Glenn Davis trade came in at no. 6. The others so far:

7. Ivan DeJesus for Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg.
8. Some backup catcher for David Cone.
9. Larry Andersen for Jeff Bagwell.

[Frobby]

Frank Robinson trade comes in at no. 3.

4. Heathcliff Slocumb for Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe.
5. Ernie Broglio for Lou Brock.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

I was 6 years old when the Glenn Davis deal went down. I remember being so excited.

How naive I was...

[Frobby]

1. Cash for Babe Ruth.
2. Jim Fregosi for Nolan Ryan.

Can't argue with no. 1, if you view that as a trade.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

1. Cash for Babe Ruth.
2. Jim Fregosi for Nolan Ryan.

Can't argue with no. 1, if you view that as a trade.

That's kind of a cop out, IMO. If it was the "9 Worst Moves of All-Time," okay, but that wasn't a trade, that was a sale.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think they've underrated the Davis deal. At least if you go by the criteria "wins left in careers". I know, you can try more detailed analyses, including how much contract was left and who was subsequently traded for more value, etc.

Davis: 0.3 rWAR, round off to zero
Finley: 40 rWAR
Harnisch: 16 rWAR
Schilling: 77 rWAR

So, the O's lost that one 133-to-zero.

The Ruth sale was 138 wins gained by the Yanks, and $100k lost. In 1920s dollars $100k probably bought you a substantial number of wins on the market. Lefty Grove was sold from the Orioles to the A's for $100k in the middle of Ruth's career, and he was a HOFer.

Ryan for Fregosi was about 75-2.

Frank for Pappas+ really wasn't tremendously lopsided. Frank had about 40 wins left in him, but Pappas had 22.

The Brock deal was about 40-0.

Varitek/Lowe for Slocumb was about 40-0, too.

Cone for Hearn/Anderson/Gozzo was about 58-(-1).

Again, if you figure time under contract you'll come up with some different conclusions. But just in terms of remaining career value traded the Davis deal has a strong case for worst of all time.

[Frobby]

I think they've underrated the Davis deal. At least if you go by the criteria "wins left in careers". I know, you can try more detailed analyses, including how much contract was left and who was subsequently traded for more value, etc.

Davis: 0.3 rWAR, round off to zero
Finley: 40 rWAR
Harnisch: 16 rWAR
Schilling: 77 rWAR

So, the O's lost that one 133-to-zero.

The Ruth sale was 138 wins gained by the Yanks, and $100k lost. In 1920s dollars $100k probably bought you a substantial number of wins on the market. Lefty Grove was sold from the Orioles to the A's for $100k in the middle of Ruth's career, and he was a HOFer.

Ryan for Fregosi was about 75-2.

Frank for Pappas+ really wasn't tremendously lopsided. Frank had about 40 wins left in him, but Pappas had 22.

The Brock deal was about 40-0.

Varitek/Lowe for Slocumb was about 40-0, too.

Cone for Hearn/Anderson/Gozzo was about 58-(-1).

Again, if you figure time under contract you'll come up with some different conclusions. But just in terms of remaining career value traded the Davis deal has a strong case for worst of all time.

I agree the Davis trade has to be right near the top. The Ruth "trade" still gets no. 1, because reality trumps hypothetical WAR. The Red Sox won three World Series in the five years Ruth was on their team; after he was traded they had 17 consecutive seasons under .500. The Yankees had never been to a World Series before Ruth arrived; they went to seven World Series and won five with Ruth on their team. Obviously there was more going on there than just the Ruth "trade," but the reality of how that trade played out puts it no. 1.

It is sort of the same thing with the Robinson trade. The Orioles had never been to a World Series without him; they went four times and won twice after he got there, and everyone understood he was the leader of that team. That moves it up from where it would be based on WAR.

I'm sure if I looked, I could find some obscure guy who was traded to a team right before it started a big run of World Series appearances, who in fact had just a small role in it. But nobody could say that Ruth or Robinson were bit players in their teams' success.

[sangar]

I was 6 years old when the Glenn Davis deal went down. I remember being so excited.

How naive I was...

I was older than that, but probably equally as excited. Haha.

[RZNJ]

I figure the Glenn Davis and Frank Robinson trades must be in here.

The only problem with the Glenn Davis trade is that Schilling didn't become Schilling until he got to the Phillies. The Astros traded him for Jason Grimsley. Finley also didn't have his big years until he had left Houston, with San Diego and Arizona. So, while it was a lopsided trade and was good for the Stros they didn't really got the huge lopsided benefit from it themselves. Harnisch, was good. Schilling was so so, and Finley was okay.

[OFFNY]

.
Amos Otis and Bob Johnson for Joe Foy.

[Redskins Rick]

I was 6 years old when the Glenn Davis deal went down. I remember being so excited.

How naive I was...

Me too, seamed like it just happened yesterday.

[Redskins Rick]

The only problem with the Glenn Davis trade is that Schilling didn't become Schilling until he got to the Phillies. The Astros traded him for Jason Grimsley. Finley also didn't have his big years until he had left Houston, with San Diego and Arizona. So, while it was a lopsided trade and was good for the Stros they didn't really got the huge lopsided benefit from it themselves. Harnisch, was good. Schilling was so so, and Finley was okay.

And Davis was a bust for us.

[srh523]

I would have to say the Bedard trade has worked out well in the Orioles favor.... would be interested in the projected totals on that trade.