What is the worst trade in MLB history?

Mon Aug 3, 2009 1:18 PM EDT

Live Poll

NBCSports.com chose the top 5 worst ever MLB trades. If you think we got it wrong, then tell us! You can send in your own top 5 and tell us who should have made the list!

Results with 16 short comments
Total of 422 votes - click on the "Display Comments" bar below to sort comments

11.1%

Red Sox trade Jeff Bagwell to Astros

47 votes

19.4%

Expos trade Randy Johnson to Mariners

82 votes

5.7%

A's trade Mark McGwire to Cardinals

24 votes

19.4%

Expos trade Pedro Martinez to Red Sox

82 votes

Giants trade Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano to Twins

38 votes

35.3%

Other (Tell us what trade!)

149 votes

Display Comments:

Other (Tell us what trade!)

How about Babe Ruth for Frankie Frisch or Frank Robinson for Milt Papas for 2. How old is this writer,22?

- dave g-334379

- 9:57 am EDT on Tue Aug 4, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Babe Ruth to the yankees. Not technically a trade but worst move ever!

- rcl-1242208

- 1:46 pm EDT on Tue Aug 4, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Cubs trade of Lou Brock to the Cards has to be up there

- abner-1254699

- 5:08 pm EDT on Tue Aug 4, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

You've forgotten the all time worst trade of any sport; Babe Ruth for $100,000 to finance the musical No No Nanette.

- NHMike-1143770

- 6:15 pm EDT on Tue Aug 4, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Mariners trade Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb.

- hg1234

- 7:53 pm EDT on Tue Aug 4, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

You have got to be kidding...you left off one of the worst trades ever in any sport....Milt Pappas for Frank Robinson.

- ksduvall

- 8:10 pm EDT on Tue Aug 4, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Apparently you guys have never heard of a guy named Ruth. He played in "Bastan" unitl he was traded two a small club in the Bronx...

- fearthewolf

- 10:17 pm EDT on Tue Aug 4, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

I may be a biased Mets fan, but Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano still stings (Goddamn you Steve Phillips...).

- doggler

- 1:15 am EDT on Wed Aug 5, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Babe Ruth!! Going to the Yankees!

- Beth in Manassas

- 9:45 am EDT on Wed Aug 5, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Cardinals send Steve Carlton to the Phillies for Rick Wise.

#10

- PhilliesPhanatic

- 10:23 am EDT on Wed Aug 5, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Cubs trade Lou Brock to Cardinals

#11

- JohnMichaelM

- 10:50 am EDT on Wed Aug 5, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

the Reds trade Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles, in exchange for the pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun & Dick Simpson.

#12

- Paul from Madison

- 12:30 pm EDT on Wed Aug 5, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

Maybe in the last 20 years these rate. And then what about the Rangers trade of Sammy Sosa?

#13

- fred-117

- 3:19 am EDT on Thu Aug 6, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

This list is absolutely retarded. Babe Ruth not on the list? Come on! This must have been written by a red sox fan.

#14

- filmdude

- 1:44 pm EDT on Thu Aug 6, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

what could be worse than Orioles trading Curt Schilling, Steve Finley and Pete Harnisch for Glenn Davis (1991)! Davis was horrible!!

#15

- Bobby Juice

- 5:25 pm EDT on Thu Aug 6, 2009

Other (Tell us what trade!)

The Hershel Walker trade between the Dallas Cowboys and Vikings had to be the most lopsided in NFL history. Vikings got robbed!

#16

- panteth4h2o

- 5:36 am EDT on Sat Sep 19, 2009

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YankeesJets

How does the Babe Ruth trade not show up on here? It's the worst trade of all time in any sport. We are talking about the face of MLB. The Bartolo Colon trade to the Expos was pretty bad too.

1 vote

#1 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 5:19 AM EDT

lovinmrv

Babe Ruth to the Yankees, unquestionably! There would be no "House Thet Ruth Built", no "Bronx Bombers", No "Curse of the Bambino", and on, and on, and on....

#1.1 - Thu Aug 6, 2009 7:56 AM EDT

SpiceUmUp

It wasn't a trade. Ruth was SOLD

#1.2 - Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:18 AM EDT

Henry-1253931

How about mets trade of Nolan ryan for jim Frigosi

#2 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 8:18 AM EDT

Henry-1253931

The mets trade of Nolan Ryan to the angels has to be one of the worst trades ever

#3 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 8:21 AM EDT

Dave Ford

Babe Ruth was sold, not traded to the Red Sox. The worst trade of all time was Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio in 1964. Brock then hits .348 his 1st year with the St. Louis Cardinals and goes on to the Hall of Fame.

1 vote

#4 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 9:23 AM EDT

Richard-1254016

Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, between '65/'66 where he then went on to hit the Triple Crown and lead the Orioles to the WS championship. Named MVP, becoming first to be MVP in both leagues.

#5 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 9:31 AM EDT

dave g-334379

Hey Dave Ford, check your facts, Ruth was traded for Frankie Frisch along with 125,000 in cash

#6 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 9:59 AM EDT

Bobo Brazil

Rocky Colavito for Harvey Kuenn

#7 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 10:09 AM EDT

Mystic Nick

Red Sox send Sparky Lyle to Yankees for Danny Kater

1 vote

#8 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 11:58 AM EDT

OriolesSteffi

Orioles trading Steve Finley, Pete Harnish, and Curt Shilling to the Astros for Glenn Davis.

#9 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 12:11 PM EDT

Not involved, but paying for it now....

Ozzie Smith for Garry Templeton

#10 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 12:28 PM EDT

GKY

WoW; The San Francisco Giants move is striking; they got absolutely creamed on that one... Boston missing out on Bagwell, [CT Native] is a shame as well... Thank God, Gene M. didn't give up Bernie, & Jorge Posada, the two NYY minors asked about most often, in the earliest of the 1990's; of course, they did give up Fred McGriff...

#11 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 1:41 PM EDT

Mystic Nick

Hi GKY, I'm old enough to remember that trade. The Sox were in a pennant race and they had a bad bullpen. Houston made Larry Anderson available and he was on top of his game at that time. Jeff Bagwell was in AA at the time and most fans up here didn't even know who he was. It's much different then, then it is now where most fans know their teams best prospects.But you are right that still doesn't let the Sox management and scouting team at that time completly off the hook. Nick

#11.1 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 6:12 PM EDT

ralph b-562565

Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields 'LA to Montreal.' was the worst

I can remember. Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas was pretty bad for

Cincy.

#12 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 2:40 PM EDT

ralph b-562565

Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields 'LA to Montreal.' was the worst

I can remember. Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas was pretty bad for

Cincy.

#13 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 2:40 PM EDT

abner-1254699

Cubs trade Lou Brock to the Cards.

#14 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 5:09 PM EDT

Mystic Nick

This may not be the worst, but it is bad. Derick Lowe and Jason Varitek (Seatle) for Heathcliff (Boston) Slocum. I may have not spelled the names right.

1 vote

#15 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 5:53 PM EDT

Fecteau

Yeah, I agree with this trade, but its Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek

#15.1 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:20 PM EDT

YankeesJets

I forgot about the terrible Ryan for Fregosi trade. That is definitely top 5.

#16 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 8:16 PM EDT

Dave Ford

Dave g. Maybe you should be the one doing the checking. According to the official MLB site Frankie Frisch never played for the Yankees, so how could they trade him to Boston? Plus, he never played for Boston either.

#17 - Tue Aug 4, 2009 10:54 PM EDT

Royals

The Kc Royals traded Johhny Damon and Jermain Dye for Nefi Perez,Aj Hinch,Brent Mayne,and A 38 year closer.They also traded Carlos Beltran for Mike Wood,John Buck,and A another player that never made it to the majors.

#18 - Wed Aug 5, 2009 4:47 AM EDT

ryan-1249206

http://www.shox2u.com/Shox_FSM.html

Shox FSM

#19 - Wed Aug 5, 2009 5:00 AM EDT

jasper8156

Clearly, BABE RUTH has to be #1, the standard against which all other trades are rated.

Even in St. Louis, they would say its McGwire was not as big as the trade that brought them Lou Brock. Or trading Frank Robinson, who then wins the MVP and triple crown and leads his team to Win the world Series.

Bagwell hurt but the Sox had Wade Boggs at third, where Bagwell was playing in the minors. Not the same.

Also, Randy Johnson never helped the Mariners win anything. He did help the Diamondbacks.

Just embarassing that someone makes a list as if baseball has only been played for 15 years. If you haven't heard of Frank Robinson, Lou Brock, or BABE RUTH, then cover movies and plays, not sports !

#20 - Wed Aug 5, 2009 7:14 AM EDT

SpiceUmUp

RUTH WAS SOLD not traded

#20.1 - Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:19 AM EDT

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