Baseball’s July 31 trade deadline is approaching. If history is any indication, there should be a flurry of trades leading up to the end of July. Of course, with any trade there comes with it plenty of risk—especially when top prospects are involved. Yet the reward of making the postseason is too great and most teams won’t hesitate to mortgage their future to play in the postseason. Of course, sometimes those prospects turn out to be fool’s gold. There’s risk on both sides.
For one reason or another, here are some of the most memorable deadline deals—whether they happened in June, July, or August (with the players clearing waivers) over the last 30 years.
1. Detroit trades minor league SP John Smoltz to Atlanta for SP Doyle Alexander on August 12, 1987—The 35-year-old Alexander was excellent for Detroit, going 9–0 in 11 starts while posting a 1.53 ERA, but the Braves clearly won the deal with the young Smoltz turning into a Hall-of-Fame pitcher. Meanwhile, Alexander would retire two years later, after leading the league in losses in 1989—his final season.
