Cincinnati Reds: 15 greatest MLB trade deadline deals of all-time

15. Dave Burba starts for a playoff push

One would think that trading away one of the greatest athletes of his generation would be a mistake. But, considering that Deion Sanders would leave the game of baseball the year after Cincinnati traded him to the San Francisco Giants, it turned out to be a smart move for the Reds.

On July 21, 1995, the Reds traded Deion Sanders, David McCarthy, Ricky Pickett, John Roper, Scott Service for Dave Burba, Darren Lewis and Mark Portugal. While Sanders is obviously the biggest name among the group, Cincinnati was able to secure a solid piece for their starting rotation in Burba.

Burba’s finest moments in Cincinnati came almost immediately after the Giants deal with the Reds. After four relief appearances to begin his Reds’ career, Burba got his first start with his new ball club on Aug. 3. Burba tossed five shutout innings and allowed just two hits in Cincinnati’s 3-2 win over the New York Mets.

August would be very kind to Burba. He went 4-0 in six starts and posted 1.95 ERA. Burba struck out 30 and walked just 10 over those six starts. Opposing batters were hitting below the Mendoza Line against him.

September, however, didn’t treat Burba very nicely, as the right-hander struggled to strike batters out. Burba racked up just 11 punch outs, while walking 12 batters. Burba bounced back in the postseason though, posting a 0.00 ERA in three relief appearances. The Reds would eventually fall to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.