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

Is this the worst trade in the history of the Baltimore Orioles?

Ahead of the 1992 season, the Baltimore Orioles attempted to bring a power hitter into their lineup named Glenn Davis. The first baseman had logged 166 home runs in his previous seven seasons with the Houston Astros, adding a .337 OBP and .819 OPS. The Glenn Davis that came to Baltimore was none of that.

Davis played in just 185 games in three seasons, hitting .247 and making more than $10 million in the process. He never became the missing piece for the Orioles and cost the franchise three major league players, including a Hall of Fame worthy pitcher.

In exchange for Davis, the Orioles shipped out starting pitchers Curt Schilling and Pete Harnisch and outfielder Steve Finley.

Schilling logged over 3,200 innings in his career, winning 216 games and striking out 3,116 hitters across 20 seasons. The six-time All-Star and World Series MVP has become a controversial figure off the field, but his on-field performance cannot be overlooked.

Finley played in 17 seasons after his trade from Baltimore, winning five Gold Gloves and recording a 44.3 bWAR. He eclipsed the 30 home run mark four times, lead the league in triples twice, and routinely played in 140+ games for 13-straight years. Even Pete Harnisch went on to pitch for 13 seasons, earning an All-Star nod in his first season after the trade with the Houston Astros.

This trade is always a tough pill to swallow when revisited and I wish this was some April Fools’ Day joke, but it really happened. The only joke in this was Glenn Davis’ performance as an Oriole.