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Baltimore Orioles Most Notable Trades: National League West

ByNick Stevens|
SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Fans make their way into the ball park prior to a Grapefruit League spring training game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on February 23, 2018 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Fans make their way into the ball park prior to a Grapefruit League spring training game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on February 23, 2018 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
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Baltimore Orioles
DENVER – AUGUST 27: Starting pitcher Sidney Ponson #43 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning during the game at Coors Field on August 27, 2003 in Denver, Colorado. The Giants won 6-4. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

The Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants have made plenty of smaller moves.

The Giants and Orioles have swapped players a total of 12 times, with the O’s netting themselves a few productive pieces along the way, including an Orioles Hall of Famer.

In November of 1959, the Orioles sent RHP Billy Loes and LHP Billy O’Dell to San Francisco in exchange for OF Jackie Brandt and two other players. O’Dell was coming off back-to-back All-Star appearances, but had up and down seasons with the Giants after the trade.

Brandt played six seasons in Baltimore, hitting 86 home runs and making both All-Star games in 1961. He was worth 10.9 bWAR as an Oriole.

The most notable deal made between the two teams has to be the trade that brought Stu Miller to Baltimore. Miller ranks fifth in O’s history with 99 saves. He pitched for five seasons in Baltimore, during his age 35-39 seasons. He would make 297 appearances, winning 38 games and recording an ERA of 2.37 and a 1.12 WHIP. Miller was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1989.

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The trio of players sent to San Francisco all played just one year with the Giants before moving on elsewhere to close out their careers.

We also can’t forget about the Sidney Ponson trade. Sir Sidney was 14-6 with a 3.77 ERA to start the 2003 season before being traded to San Francisco for LHP Damien Moss, RHP Kurt Ainsworth, and LHP Ryan Hannaman. Hannaman never made it out of A-ball, while Moss and Ainsworth were roughed up during their brief stints in Baltimore.

Ponson closed out the 2003 season by going 3-6 with a 3.71 ERA, electing free agency after the season and re-signing with the Orioles where he would pitch for another two seasons before being released.

Tomorrow, we look at the National League Central division and a handful of blockbuster trades made over the years.

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