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Baltimore Orioles: Ten Trades We Wish Were April Fools’ Jokes

By Nick Stevens

25 Jun 1998: Steve Finley #12 of the San Diego Padres looks on during an interleague game against the Seattle Mariners at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The Padres defeated the Mariners 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport
25 Jun 1998: Steve Finley #12 of the San Diego Padres looks on during an interleague game against the Seattle Mariners at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The Padres defeated the Mariners 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 09: Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson speaks to the media before the Atlanta Braves play the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 9, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The trade for Frank Robinson turned out to be one of the top trades in Baltimore Orioles history, however, trading him away later in his career brought little return.

It’s too early to evaluate the Manny Machado, Kevin Gausman, or Zack Britton trades of recent memory, although the Machado trade was seriously considered for this piece. Machado is a rare player in Major League Baseball and failing to wrap him up for the long term earlier in his career was one of the bigger non-moves this franchise has ever made.

Instead, we wrap up this list with a legend. The initial trade with the Cincinnati Reds that brought Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles is one of the best in franchise history, but the trade that sent Robinson to the Los Angeles Dodgers left a lot to be desired.

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The Orioles sent Robinson, along with relief pitcher Pete Richert, to the Dodgers for starting pitcher Doyle Alexander, pitcher Bob O’Brien, catcher Sergio Robles, and outfielder Royle Stillman.

Robinson put up three more highly productive seasons after the trade, including 71 home runs and an All-Star nod.

O’Brien never played in a big league game after being traded to the Orioles, Robles saw just 21 plate appearances in two seasons, while Stillman recorded 40 PA’s in two years as an Oriole. Only Doyle Alexander went on to have a major league career. Alexander had just one winning season in four years and was never much of a strikeout pitcher with Baltimore, but he did end his 19-year career with 194 wins, a 3.76 ERA, and over 3,300 innings under his belt. Much of his production came after his tenure with the Orioles. In four seasons, Alexander was worth just 2.4 bWAR, finishing with a 34.7 mark at the end of his career.

Next. Five Bold Orioles Predictions For 2019. dark

Did we miss a big trade failure that escaped our memory? Which of these trades was the worst, in your opinion? Let us know!

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