Worst Trade

[Pat]

What is the worst trade you have ever made?

I'll go first. It was this time last season. Trade deadline. My bullpen had struggled mightly and I needed to upgrade. I traded for a RP from Pawtucket, but still felt like I needed an upgrade. So I traded for CL Merlin Thompson of Denver. He was signed to a reasonable contract, still had great ratings and was lights out every year in the DL. He comes to Washington and immediately sucks. Hated being traded. Hated that he wasn't the closer. Etc.

What I gave up - At the time, it really didn't seem like a lot. MR Oliver Ganesvoort, over paid, run of the mill RP, but was "very popular." CF Jesus Noboa, I had just signed in FA and he struggled as a backup, so I saved money by ditching him. SP Guo-dong Zhào, a single-A SP who my scout didn't like and hasn't performed at anything above average. I was glad to save the money on Ganesvoort and Noboa, and Zhao was nothing important.

But then there is C/1B/DH Scott Borkholder. He can't field worth a lick. My scout thought he would have an outside shot at making a BLB club. He was an org top 10, but not OSA top 100. A few months after the trade he is listed in the top 100. Now, he is top 60, and hitting .370 in Double-A. While I just traded away Merlin Thompson for peanuts to save money.

[Whale]

Ummm,,,

RP Juan Qutnones - Gone cause he wouldn't resign with me... 2.30 ERA now
CL D. Harris - Still in AA, blows
CL J. Martyn - Syracuse AAA...blows
2B N. Binns - Career ending injury to who would be my starting 2B stud easily
2nd draft pick - AAA Wilmington...now 30 and not a factor

in exchange for
SP T. Drewery - 40 now, but good
SP D. Jones - amazing pitcher...could easily be my #2 and young

[Jim]

Trying to steal my thunder since you know I'm working on a project with trades???

I'll get the first part of my series posted tonight.

[Z]

The only trade I regret was dealing a pair of mid-round picks to Washington for two Gremades relievers.

[Guest]

Whoever I traded to get Lacour, even though both guys busted big time.

[Spectre]

Trading out of the first round in 1983- it wasn't a back-breaking trade and I likely would have drafted a bust with that 1st rounder given my record, but the guys I got back have stunk. The 2nd rounder I received Chad Ross has been atrocious. The guy I wanted was Dane Browning and I knew he was a reach at 6, so I was hoping he'd last till my second rounder but Denver scooped him up. Definitely a novice mistake at the time.

[Z]

Whoever I traded to get Lacour, even though both guys busted big time.

Javier Villarroal and Moises Taporco. Villarroal had a decent year or two, then lost it. Taporco's the guy who fell off the truck.

[Guest]

Yeah, I remeber Taporco was like the #28 prospect or something and Villarroal was in the 80's.

[Jake]

Easy. Within 2 or 3 weeks of taking over the team I made this clunker:

OF - Joe Cuevas
CF - Galterio Tibaldi
1st Round Pick
$2 million

Syracuse Gets:
SP - Clarence Nicholson (AA) - Took a ratings hit, now at 4-5-4.
SP - Martin Roundtree (AA) (got injured last year, back down to AA, bum)
RF - Joe O'Rafferty (AAA) (total scrub)
LF - Napler Soleano (BLB) (lost him in the expansion draft after 3 months, now a bum)
5th Round Pick (who cares)

So I gave up two very solid, arbitration eligible guys and a FIRST ROUND PICK for nothing. I felt really great about it at the time though. Just another reminder, never trade with the commish!!

[Carlos]

This one:

SP Joe Soto traded by the Denver Bulls to the Wilmington Wildcats, along with SP X. Tsu, SP M. Makungu, a 1st draft pick, in exchange for SP J. McNeilage, CL T. Sisk, $5,000,000.

I was in line to compete for a playoff spot in 1983 and thought I could make some big trades.

I made one big move trading away SP Jerry Dean, an All-Star in 1982, to Los Alamos for SP Eric Cafferty and a 6th Round Pick. Dean went on to become a shadow of his former self and is now collecting $7 MM in AAA with no chance at becoming a regular BLB pitcher again.

So, after making that move, I thought I should bring along another dominant starter in McNeilage. I gave away two of my best pitching prospects, a 1st round pick, and my integrity.

I ended up not making the playoffs. I lost Sisk to free agency. McNeilage tanked in the 1983 second half for me. And now, with a struggling rotation, I could have used Makungu who is doing well for Wilmington and Joe Soto.

I'll never make a trade for the short term again.

[Lintyfresh85]

Does ALL count as an acceptable answer?

[liquidcrash]

Giving up Akira Abe, Everardo Gremades and Johnson Bedell for Joe Reyes doesn't look quite as good in hindsight, now that you mention it.

[rubisco43]

Giving up Akira Abe, Everardo Gremades and Johnson Bedell for Joe Reyes doesn't look quite as good in hindsight, now that you mention it.

yeah, not to harp on the fact, but that might be equivalent to the O's giving up Steve Finley, Curt Schilling, and Pete Harnisch for Glenn Davis back in the 90's.

[Carlos]

What is the worst trade you have ever made?

I'll go first. It was this time last season. Trade deadline. My bullpen had struggled mightly and I needed to upgrade. I traded for a RP from Pawtucket, but still felt like I needed an upgrade. So I traded for CL Merlin Thompson of Denver. He was signed to a reasonable contract, still had great ratings and was lights out every year in the DL. He comes to Washington and immediately sucks. Hated being traded. Hated that he wasn't the closer. Etc.

What I gave up - At the time, it really didn't seem like a lot. MR Oliver Ganesvoort, over paid, run of the mill RP, but was "very popular." CF Jesus Noboa, I had just signed in FA and he struggled as a backup, so I saved money by ditching him. SP Guo-dong Zhào, a single-A SP who my scout didn't like and hasn't performed at anything above average. I was glad to save the money on Ganesvoort and Noboa, and Zhao was nothing important.

But then there is C/1B/DH Scott Borkholder. He can't field worth a lick. My scout thought he would have an outside shot at making a BLB club. He was an org top 10, but not OSA top 100. A few months after the trade he is listed in the top 100. Now, he is top 60, and hitting .370 in Double-A. While I just traded away Merlin Thompson for peanuts to save money.

We've talked about this before, but I really can't believe Merlin Thompson tanked it for you so badly.

If he had at least pitched the way he did in Denver, giving up Borkholder would have been ok. The other players, like you mentioned, didn't have much value for you. None are doing much for me either besides providing some depth.

But, Borkholder is definitely the breaker here. He's the one that makes this deal look lopsided, especially considering how bad Thompson pitched for you.

[Carlos]

Does ALL count as an acceptable answer?

Stick to free agency. You seem to make better decisions there.