original post date, September 10, 2006
Enough of talking about BAD trades.
Let's talk good trades! The Red Sox have had a few and here are my top 10 of the modern Red Sox
There are a few great deals in the past, especially acquiring Jimmie Foxx and Lefty Grove in their primes, but let's focus on the Red Sox since 1970, shall we?
Obviously this list of trades will favor the 2004 Champs, because any moves that procured what we were all waiting for deserves special attention, but there are some other ones too.
Counting down from 10
10. Trading minor leaguer Henri Stanley to the Dodgers for Dave RobertsA minor league outfielder who still has never seen the show is a small price to pay for the most famous pinch runner in baseball history.
This trade barely made a blip when it happened.
Now Dave Roberts is mentioned in the same breath as Paul Revere and John Hancock as Boston heroes.
9. Trading Calvin Schraldi and Al Nipper to the Cubs for Lee Smith
Let's see... the 1987 Red Sox bullpen was a joke, so let's take Schraldi who was one bad outing from getting shock treatment and Al Nipper who I am guessing is a hell of a nice guy but no starting pitcher and send them off to Chicago for the best reliever in the National League.
The result?
A division title.
8. Trading Rick Wise, Mike Paxton, Ted Cox and Bo Diaz to the Indians for Dennis Eckersley and Fred Kendall
Wise was broken down and while Diaz became an All Star catcher, the Eck became a 20 game winner and the lone highlight for the Red Sox rotation for 4 years.
If only we thought of converting him to the bullpen!
7. Trading Don Aase to the Angels for Jerry Remy
Aase was a quality youg arm and actually saved 34 games for Baltimore in 1986... but the deal brought Rem Dog to Boston where he belongs!
6. Trading Mike Easler to the Yankees for Don Baylor
There was a time when the Yankees and Red Sox made the occasional trade.
This one looked simple enough: swap quality DHs. Easler was left handed and would fit well in the Bronx while Baylor's right handed stick would fit in Fenway.
Baylor's power fit right into the line up (and made up for the injured Tony Armas) but it was his prescience in the lax John McNamara "led" clubhouse that fired up a dull team and brought them to within a pitch of the title.
5. Trading Rey Quinones, Mike Brown, John Christensen and Mike Trujillo to the Mariners for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
Quinones couldn't cut it as the starting shortstop, so the Sox picked up Clemens and Schraldi's old college teammate Owen who did a nice job. But Henderson, who was brought over for his glove to help Armas, gave us one of the most dramatic homers in baseball history over the Angels and would have been the hero of the World Series if that third out was ever made. Always remember, pick up backup outfielders named DAVE!
4. 4 team trade sending Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs and receiving Orlando Cabrera from the Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins
Possibly the ballsiest trade in baseball history.
Theo put emotions aside, shored up the defense, loosened up the clubhouse and let Lowe feel comfortable getting ground ball outs.
The 2004 Red Sox miss the playoffs all together if this trade wasn't made.
3. Trading Heathcliff Slocumb to the Mariners for minor leaguers Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe
Dealing an inconsistent reliever and getting a team captain and the heart and soul of the eventual World Championship team? Not a bad move? Throw in a guy who nearly won a Cy Young award, came out of the pen to close out the A's in 2003 and won the clinching game of the Division Series, ALCS and World Series in 2004 and we are talking about a trade that GMs lose their jobs over.
2. Trading Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge De La Rosa and Michael Goss to the Diamondbacks for Curt Schilling
The Thanksgiving dinner heard round the world!
The Red Sox weren't going to win anything without a pair of aces, and if that meant pretending Shonda's stuffing was good, then so be it!
1. Trading Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr to the Expos for Pedro Martinez
Two pretty good pitching prospects in exchange for a Cy Young winner? A good deal then, but who could have predicted the magical 7 year Red Sox run with Pedro on the hill? Was there a more fun, electric and thrilling sight to see than Pedro dominating a game. He single handedly won playoff births in 1998 and 1999 and finished in the top 4 of the Cy Young in 6 of the 7 years with Boston. His 6 innings of no hit relief in 1999 and his game 3 vs St Louis were two of the great moments in Red Sox history. Thus this is the best trade the Sox EVER made
Now Dave Roberts is mentioned in the same breath as Paul Revere and John Hancock as Boston heroes.
9. Trading Calvin Schraldi and Al Nipper to the Cubs for Lee SmithLet's see... the 1987 Red Sox bullpen was a joke, so let's take Schraldi who was one bad outing from getting shock treatment and Al Nipper who I am guessing is a hell of a nice guy but no starting pitcher and send them off to Chicago for the best reliever in the National League.
The result?
A division title.
8. Trading Rick Wise, Mike Paxton, Ted Cox and Bo Diaz to the Indians for Dennis Eckersley and Fred KendallWise was broken down and while Diaz became an All Star catcher, the Eck became a 20 game winner and the lone highlight for the Red Sox rotation for 4 years.
If only we thought of converting him to the bullpen!
7. Trading Don Aase to the Angels for Jerry RemyAase was a quality youg arm and actually saved 34 games for Baltimore in 1986... but the deal brought Rem Dog to Boston where he belongs!
6. Trading Mike Easler to the Yankees for Don BaylorThere was a time when the Yankees and Red Sox made the occasional trade.
This one looked simple enough: swap quality DHs. Easler was left handed and would fit well in the Bronx while Baylor's right handed stick would fit in Fenway.
Baylor's power fit right into the line up (and made up for the injured Tony Armas) but it was his prescience in the lax John McNamara "led" clubhouse that fired up a dull team and brought them to within a pitch of the title.
5. Trading Rey Quinones, Mike Brown, John Christensen and Mike Trujillo to the Mariners for Dave Henderson and Spike OwenQuinones couldn't cut it as the starting shortstop, so the Sox picked up Clemens and Schraldi's old college teammate Owen who did a nice job. But Henderson, who was brought over for his glove to help Armas, gave us one of the most dramatic homers in baseball history over the Angels and would have been the hero of the World Series if that third out was ever made. Always remember, pick up backup outfielders named DAVE!
4. 4 team trade sending Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs and receiving Orlando Cabrera from the Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz from the TwinsPossibly the ballsiest trade in baseball history.
Theo put emotions aside, shored up the defense, loosened up the clubhouse and let Lowe feel comfortable getting ground ball outs.
The 2004 Red Sox miss the playoffs all together if this trade wasn't made.
3. Trading Heathcliff Slocumb to the Mariners for minor leaguers Jason Varitek and Derek LoweDealing an inconsistent reliever and getting a team captain and the heart and soul of the eventual World Championship team? Not a bad move? Throw in a guy who nearly won a Cy Young award, came out of the pen to close out the A's in 2003 and won the clinching game of the Division Series, ALCS and World Series in 2004 and we are talking about a trade that GMs lose their jobs over.
2. Trading Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge De La Rosa and Michael Goss to the Diamondbacks for Curt SchillingThe Thanksgiving dinner heard round the world!
The Red Sox weren't going to win anything without a pair of aces, and if that meant pretending Shonda's stuffing was good, then so be it!
1. Trading Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr to the Expos for Pedro MartinezTwo pretty good pitching prospects in exchange for a Cy Young winner? A good deal then, but who could have predicted the magical 7 year Red Sox run with Pedro on the hill? Was there a more fun, electric and thrilling sight to see than Pedro dominating a game. He single handedly won playoff births in 1998 and 1999 and finished in the top 4 of the Cy Young in 6 of the 7 years with Boston. His 6 innings of no hit relief in 1999 and his game 3 vs St Louis were two of the great moments in Red Sox history. Thus this is the best trade the Sox EVER made
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