Baltimore Orioles Most Notable Trades: National League West

The Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers have made a few memorable trades.

There’s plenty to choose from when looking at trades between the Orioles and Dodgers, 18 player-for-player deals to exact since 1954. Two of these deals involved eventual MLB Hall of Famers in Frank Robinson and Eddie Murray, while the most recent transaction between these two clubs involved a four-time All-Star and Platinum Glove winner in Manny Machado.

We’re still many years away from seeing how the Machado deal will shake out, but should start to see one or two of the four prospects received in return crack the majors (IF Rylan Bannon and RHP Dean Kremer). OF Yusniel Diaz will head into 2020 looking to shake off hamstring injuries that hindered his 2019, while reliever Zach Pop will look to make his return from Tommy John surgery.

December 2nd, 1971 brought the end of the Frank Robinson era in Baltimore.

• To Baltimore: RHP Doyle Alexander, LHP Bob O’Brien, C Sergio Robles, and OF Royle Stillman
• To Los Angeles: OF Frank Robinson, LHP Pete Richert

Robinson was coming off three-straight All-Star appearances and had finished 3rd in MVP voting in two of the last three seasons but had a less than impressive one-year stint in Los Angeles. Robinson hit less than 20 home runs (19) for just the second time in 17 seasons and was worth just 2.0 bWAR. He posted a bWAR less than 4.0 just four times in 19 seasons where he appeared in at least 100 games.

The MLB legend would rebound with two strong seasons with the Angels before ending his career in Cleveland.

Of the four players sent to Baltimore, only Doyle Alexander amounted to anything. Alexander pitching for 19 seasons in the bigs, five of them with the Orioles. He would go 35-37 with a 3.41 ERA, walking nearly as many hitters (196) as he struck out (215).

• To Baltimore: IF Juan Bell, RHP Brian Holton, RHP Ken Howell
• To Los Angeles: 1B Eddie Murray

One of the greatest Orioles to ever play the game, the relationship between Eddie Murray and the Orioles had fallen out of favor by 1988, resulting in moving the seven-time All-Star and 1977 Rookie of the Year for three players who would contribute very little to Baltimore.

While Murray continued to be Eddie Murray for nearly another decade, the duo of Bell and Holton would combine to be worth -1.5 bWAR in their very limited time in the major leagues with the Orioles. Howell never appeared in the big leagues with Baltimore. He was traded again soon after his arrival.

Without a doubt, this was one of the worst trades in team history.