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

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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Baltimore Orioles
ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 22: Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson looks on during batting prior to the New York Yankees playing against the Texas Rangers in Game Six of the ALCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on October 22, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Remember that one season Reggie Jackson played for the Baltimore Orioles?

In his one season with the Baltimore Orioles, Reggie Jackson posted a 5.3 bWAR season, lead the league with a .502 slugging percentage, and received Most Valuable Player Award votes. Sounds like a pretty good player to get in a trade, right?

Jackson had a fantastic season, no doubt about that, but it was his only season in a Baltimore Orioles uniform. He would become a free agent after the season and elect to sign with the New York Yankees. Contract disputes with the Oakland A’s lead to his trade, which was followed by Jackson sitting out the first few weeks of the season. He played in 134 games and the Orioles just missed out on the playoffs in 1976.

The full trade involved the A’s sending Jackson, starting pitcher Ken Holtzman, and minor league pitcher Bill VanBommel (never made it to the majors) to Baltimore in exchange for Don Baylor and pitchers Paul Mitchell and Mike Torrez.

Baylor would go on to win the 1979 MVP Award and three Silver Sluggers after leaving Baltimore, hitting double-digit home runs in 12 of his 13 seasons, post-Baltimore. Torrez was added to the trade on the heels of a 20-win season. He would win 63 games in his next four seasons, posting sub-4.00 ERAs in three of those four seasons.

While Jackson had a great season in Baltimore, it wasn’t for a full year, it didn’t bring in a playoff birth, and there was essentially no possibility of having him in Baltimore for more than one season.