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.

2. Frank Robinson (1966)

I’m sure there are loads of fans reading this right now thinking, “How in the world is Frank Robinson not No. 1?” That’s a good question, and one we’ll answer in the next slide, but Frank Robinson’s trade to the Baltimore Orioles following the 1965 season was one of the most foolish trades in the history Major League Baseball.

Frank Robinson is a Hall of Famer. That should be more than enough, but in case you didn’t know, Robinson is a former Rookie of the Year, 14-time All-Star, two-time MVP, two-time World Champion and won the Triple Crown in 1966. Yes, Robinson won led the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs the year he was traded away from the Cincinnati Reds.

Not only was Robinson traded to the Orioles following a 10-year career in the Queen City, the slugger had 324 home runs with a .303 batting average, an MVP and six All-Star appearances before being dealt to Baltimore for Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson. Who?

After the trade to Baltimore, Robinson would finish in the Top 3 for the AL MVP vote three times, winning the award in 1966. He’d make several more All-Star Games over the remainder of his career and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. Frank Robinson was one of the greatest players to ever wear a Reds uniform.

1. Christy Mathewson (1900)

Christy Mathewson is one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history. While few fans probably know of him, Mathewson played 17 seasons for the New York Giants and ended his career with the Cincinnati Reds in 1916. But, did you know that Mathewson was a member of the Cincinnati Reds for a hot minute in 1900?

In 1900, Mathewson’s contract was purchased from Norfolk of the Virginia-North Carolina League by the New York Giants. Mathewson went 0-3 in six games with a 5.08 ERA and was sent back to Norfolk. The Reds would pluck Mathewson off Norfolk’s roster, but the right-hander never played a game for Cincinnati and was traded back to the Giants for Amos Rusie.

Christy Mathewson would go on to have have a Hall of Fame career. The Gentleman Hurler put together a 372-188 record with a career-ERA of 2.13 and won the Triple Crown in 1908. During that season, Mathewson led the league in wins (37), ERA (1.43) and strikeouts (259). He also pitched 11 shutouts that season and totaled 390.2 innings pitched.

So, while Mathewson went on to have one of the greatest careers in major league history, who makes this trade so foolish was who the Reds got in return. Amos Rusie is a Hall of Fame pitcher as well, pitching the majority of his 10-year career for the New York Giant. Rusie won 246 games during his career, however, none of those wins came while he played for the Reds.

So there you have it, the three most foolish trades in the 150-year history of the Cincinnati Reds. Happy April Fool’s Day to everyone in Reds Country. Let’s hope the current front office avoids any foolish trades in 2020.