Cincinnati Reds: Three most foolish trades in team history

It’s April Fool’s Day and we’re taking a look back through the long and storied history of the Cincinnati Reds to find the most foolish trades of all-time.

Trades are part of baseball. Over the years, Reds Country has seen some great trades. The Cincinnati Reds have been on the receiving end of tremendous value, but sometimes things don’t go according to plan. On this Aprils Fool’s Day, let’s look back through the 150-year history of the Cincinnati Reds and find the three most foolish trades of all-time.

When we hear a trade announced, fans always like to evaluate who wins and who loses. Last season, we saw the Reds land Cleveland ace Trevor Bauer in exchange for Yasiel Puig and top prospect Taylor Trammell. It’s hard to evaluate who won that trade because we haven’t seen how Trammell may develop, nor what Bauer will bring to the 2020 Reds.

The Reds have been on the receiving end of one of the greatest trades in the history of Major League Baseball. Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart were shipped to Houston in exchange for Denis Menke, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, Ed Armbrister and eventual Hall of Famer and 10-time All-Star Joe Morgan.

But, rather than looking at some of the trades that went well, we’re taking a look at the trades that made the Reds look like fools. Many fans will remember a trade that occurred in the winter before the 1966 season as one of the worst trades in baseball history, but believe it or not, there may be one that’s even more foolish than that. Let’s take a look.