Worst Deals Ever?

[Robextend]

Also Roger Maris, Kent Hadley and Joe DeMaestri to the Yankees for for Marv Throneberry, Norm Siebern, Hank Bauer, and Don Larsen

[CMIZ5290]

how about the braves in 1987 getting John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander?

[Griffins]

Rick Wise for Steve Carlton
Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas
Christy Mathewson for a washed up Amos Rusie

[barrysloate]

I forgot about the Bobby Bonilla deal. That is truly a colossal blunder. Also the Lou Brock and Frank Robinson deals were equally dreadful. It seems like what constitutes a really bad deal is getting a marginal player, and trading a future Hall of Famer to get him. You wonder how teams make such costly mistakes.

[DaveW]

Those of us in the SF area might say that the Giants signing Barry Zito for 7 years and $126million was a pretty bad deal. That tied up a lot of money for a mediocre 5th starter. He did OK this year, but for the first 5 years of the deal, he was awful.

[Mikehealer]

Not baseball, but the Cowboys trading Herschel Walker for what turned out to be one HOFer(E. Smith) and most likely another(D. Woodson) as well as several other starters/contributors on three Super Bowl teams.

[steve B]

Varitek and Lowe for Heathcliff Slocumb. Lousy deal for the Mariners great for the Red Sox.

Steve B

[bbcarddan]

I`m surprised no one has mentioned the Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell deal or steal depending on your perspective.

[David W]

Originally Posted by DaveW

Those of us in the SF area might say that the Giants signing Barry Zito for 7 years and $126million was a pretty bad deal. That tied up a lot of money for a mediocre 5th starter. He did OK this year, but for the first 5 years of the deal, he was awful.

As a Cardinal fan I was ecstatic when Zito was set to start game 5. Cards up 3 to 1 and one of the all time worst free agent signings ever in Zito having to pitch for San Fran...... We should have lit him up but somehow he turned the clock back 6 years.

The first big time free agent bomb was Wayne Garland way back in the 70's, 10 year deal for $2/3 million after a 20 win season with Baltimore. Led league in losses his first year, and that was his best year before injuries ended his career early in the contract.

And Mike Hampton never lived up to his contract due to injuries.

I think the Pujols deal will rival the A Rod mistake soon.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Until Liriano fizzled, one of the great ones was AJ Pierzynski for Liriano, Nathan, and Bonser.

[bwbc917]

Brandon Phillips is stolen by the Reds for P Dave Stevens.

[barrysloate]

It seems like the list of really bad deals is a long one. It would be an interesting topic of discussion to figure out why people who are paid to make trades beneficial for the team so often get it wrong. For every GM who makes a good deal there is another GM who was taken to the cleaners.

[EvilKing00]

Also, I know someone mentioned Babe Ruth getting sold from Boston to the Yankees BUT

What about when he was Sold from Baltimore to Boston! and what about Philadelphia Athletics and Cincinnati Reds who passed on the deal first to get ruth! lol