12 Most Lopsided Trades of the 90’s - Part II

5. Seattle Mariners trade Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Boston Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb (July ‘97)

Derek Lowe

During the ‘97 season, the Mariners were desperate to replace Norm Charlton (7.27 ERA) as closer to remain in first place in the AL West. Due to having a productive catcher in Dan Wilson, the Mariners decided that the former first round pick Jason Varitek was expendable. For good leverage, they decided to include a young pitcher named Derek Lowe as well.

Lowe became a closer to replace Slocumb and went on to save 42 games in 2000. He was then converted to a starter and found success by winning 21, 17, and 14 games as a member of the rotation.

The current captain, Varitek, has hit 165 HR while playing in his 13 seasons as a member of the Red Sox.

As for the Mariners, they did win the division but only received three saves in 1998 from Slocumb. He left for Baltimore after the season.

4. Boston Red Sox trade Jamie Moyer to the Seattle Mariners for Darren Bragg (July ‘96)

A year before the Slocumb trade, the Mariners were able to rob the Red Sox by receiving Moyer, who was on the brink of becoming a star pitcher at the tender age of 33.

In his first 11 years, Moyer only had double-digit wins in three seasons and was playing for his fifth team prior to the trade. So it surprised everyone when Moyer won 17 games for the Mariners in ‘97 and then continued his success by winning a range of 13 to 21 games the next six seasons.

Darren Bragg lasted two seasons with the BoSox and hit nine and eight HR, respectively.

3. Curt Schilling trades

a) Baltimore Orioles trade Curt Schilling, Steve Finley, and Pete Harnisch to the Houston Astros for Glenn Davis (Jan. ‘91)

b) Houston Astros trade Curt Schilling to Philadelphia Phillies for Jason Grimsley (Apr. ‘92)

Curt Schilling

I’ve decided to take the cheat route and lump together both lopsided trades that Shilling was a part of.

Needing to replace the offense that they lost when Eddie Murray left, the Orioles traded for Glenn Davis to play 1B/DH. Davis suffered a neck injury and never fulfilled the power he showed in the ’80s. Davis only hit 24 home runs over three seasons for the Orioles. In 1993, he even lost a bar fight and had his jaw broken. The Orioles released him in 1993.

Finley played in four seasons and was a feature at the top of the lineup. He was traded to the Padres in a 12-man blockbuster trade in Dec. ‘94, which included both Ken Caminiti and Derek Bell. Harnisch won a total of 45 games over four seasons. He was traded to the Mets for two unknown players.

As for Curt Schilling, he would only pitch for one season (3-5, 3.81 ERA) before being involved in another lopsided trade.

Prior to the ‘92, the Phillies struck gold when they traded the future “Benedict Arnold” Jason Grimsley for the flamethrower.

Schilling won 96 games and appeared in the World Series in ‘93 as a member of the Phillies.

Grimsley did not pitch for the Astros in 1992 and was released before the ‘93 season.

2. Oakland A’s trade Mark McGwire to the St. Louis Cardinals for T.J. Matthews, Eric Ludwick, and Blake Stein (July ‘97)

With McGwire in the last year of his contract, the A’s decided to trade him and get whatever they could before he walked.

The A’s received three pitchers who did not amount to much for them. They combined for 30 wins with the team.

Mark McGwire went on to continue to put up arcade-like numbers, which would put a player in the Hall of Fame if he was not perceived to be a steroid user.

1. Boston Red Sox trade Jeff Bagwell to the Houston Astros for Larry Andersen (Aug. ‘90)

Jeff Bagwell

Just prior to the waiver wire trade deadline, the Red Sox strengthened their bullpen by acquiring Andersen.

The Red Sox went on to win the division but lost to the Oakland A’s in the playoffs. Andersen gave up two ER in the three innings pitched.

While Andersen played only one season for the Sox, appearing in 15 games and recording one save, Bagwell became a legend in Houston, hitting 449 home runs with over 1,500 RBI and a .297 average over 15 seasons. Bagwell would go on to win the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year award, as well as also being honored with the NL MVP in 1994.

This trade goes down as being one of the worst ever.

With Bagwell on the roster, the Astros went to six playoffs but unfortunately did not win the World Series.

Bagwell should be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee with the career totals mentioned above.