The Worst Trades in BBSBL... So Far...

We're heading into BBSBL season 4, or 1999 in layman terms. With three seasons in the books I wanted to take a look at some of the worst trades that have been made so far. There were a lot. Let's see who bends at the waist and who bends at the knees.







Toronto got: 1B Todd Helton, SP Mike Kusiewicz, Colorado's 1996 1st Round Pick
Colorado got: SP Pat Hentgen, SP Juan Guzman, MR Tony Castillo

This may have been the worst trade I have ever seen in all of sim leagues. At the time of this trade, Helton was two years away from being an MVP and the mainstay of a budding Blue Jays lineup. You would think that a masher like that would garner pitching of the same caliber. You would think that. Not so. Guzman has been a league average pitcher, while Hentgen has been horrible in Colorado. The kicker on all of this? Somehow Colorado gave up a 1st round pick in the deal as well! That pick ended up being MR/SP Juan Cruz who Colorado could have obviously used to solve their pitching woes. If I were ranking these trades this would be the worst.

The First Friend Trade, Part 1

Boston got: 1B Richie Sexson, SP Bartolo Colon, CF Kenny Lofton, MR Julian Tavarez, 1B Julio Franco
Cleveland got: 1B Mo Vaughn, 2B Lou Merloni, OF Troy O'Leary, OF Trot Nixon, SP Aaron Sele, SP Dwight Gooden, Boston's 1997 2nd Round Pick

This trade was touted as Cleveland making a serious push at winning. Really? It looks like he gave up a lot of good players for scrubs from where I'm sitting. It doesn't look like Cleveland got one good piece in this trade. This, along with maybe 4 or 5 other trades, is obviously a case of one friend taking advantage of another. I'm not sure why Break finds it necessary to treat his friend so badly. I think it's also pretty funny that neither team has really traded with anybody else in the league. Is the Boston Indians or the Cleveland Red Sox?






Original Deal
Toronto got: MR Keith Foulke, 2B Marlon Anderson, CF Carl Everett, Cincinnati's 1998 1st Round Draft Pick
Cincinnati got: CF Vernon Wells, SS Alex Gonzalez, 2B Joe Randa, MR LaTroy Hawkins, Toronto's 1998 2nd Round Draft Pick, 1999 2nd Round Draft Pick, and 2000 1st Round Draft Pick

Re-Worked Deal
Toronto got: 2B Marlon Anderson, CF Carl Everett, Cincinnati's 1998 1st Round Draft Pick
Cincinnati got: CF Vernon Wells, SS Alex Gonzalez, 2B Joe Randa,Toronto's 1998 2nd Round Draft Pick, 1999 2nd Round Draft Pick, and 2000 1st Round Draft Pick, Houston's 1998 1st Round Draft Pick

Final Trade
Toronto got: Cincinnati's 1998 1st Round Draft Pick
Cincinnati got: Houston's 1998 1st Round Draft Pick, Toronto's 1998 and 2000 1st Round Draft Picks, 1999 2nd Round Draft Pick, CF Vernon Wells, SP LaTroy Hawkins, SP Kelvim Escobar

This trade was horrible for so many reasons. Collusion, personal attacks in the trade threads, you name it and the worst happened in these trades. It should have been evidence enough that it took three attempts to get it right. The final deal was eventually let through, but was reversed once strong evidence of collusion came out. I hated all of this. I remember at one point, Chevy called Hawkins the most valuable piece in this deal. That's when I knew this was fucked. Not to mention his complete lack of remorse. The guy couldn't even admit he was getting the best three players in the deal. It goes without saying that getting CC for pennies ranks pretty high as a terrible trade... more on that later.






San Diego got: SP Jim Pittsley, CF Tom Goodwin
Kansas City got: CF Steve Finley

This trade is all about Jim Pittsley. Obviously there was no way for KC to know that Pittsley would explode the way he did, but why trade for an average center fielder and take that chance? If I remember correctly, Jim was about a 3.5* prospect at the time and Finley, although very good, was expensive. Hindsight is 20/20, but this is why you don't trade borderline prospects.






New York got: SP Wil Ledezma
San Francisco got: $5,000,000 in-game cash

Another case of a prospect exploding after a trade, but this one is worse than the Pittsley deal because Ledezma was a 4* prospect and only a TIA away from being a stud. I understand the desperation Spencer felt in dealing for in-game cash, but I feel as though he sold too low. But hey guess what? Fuck him because he would have taken less! Karma bitch!






Anaheim got: Colorado's 2000 1st Round Draft Pick, 2000 3rd Round Draft Pick
Colorado got: C Jorge Fabregas, Anaheim's 2000 4th Round Draft Pick

Does Colorado hate 1st round draft picks? They give up an extra one in their deal for Helton and now they give up one for a career .272 hitting catcher! And on top of that they shipped him out later in that season. If you're looking for extra picks, look no further than the Rockies. They hand them out like candy!






San Francisco got: SP Tom Glavine
Atlanta got: IF Todd Walker, 1B Mark Poarch, SP Steve Bourgeois

Yes, this trade guaranteed San Fran a World Series championship. Classic case of a guy struggling and being sold low. Sure, Atlanta got some nice prospects, but wow Glavine was dominant for San Fran. Spencer definitely took advantage of the reward system and that should be a lesson for everyone: use it. Atlanta could have gotten much more if Glavine was improved just a tiny bit.






Florida got: SP CC Sabathia
Cincinnati got: RF Sammy Sosa, SP Steve Trachsel, Philadelphia's 1999 1st Round Draft Pick, Florida's 1999 2nd Round Draft Pick

Even after changing Reds owners, the team still dealt the most impressive pitching prospect in the game. I'm not saying this deal is horrible value-wise (Cinci is currently in 1st thanks to Sammy and Steve), but why trade the Todd Helton of pitching!?! He probably could have gotten quite a bit more if he actually tried. Hell I would have given more - like Jeter and Posada, etc. had I known he was serious about trading him. Ashes got a great start to his rebuild and didn't even have to give up any of his own firsts.


So there you go. Some of the worst trades we have seen so far. Only ones that went through were considered. Please vote!