Cincinnati Reds: 3 best trades under Dick Williams

What were Dick Williams three best trades during his time with the Reds?

Dick Williams stepped down as the Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations this past week. Not every move was a home run, but Williams made three significant deals that were instrumental in leading the Reds back to the postseason.

Even the best general managers are going to swing and miss on some trades or free-agent signings. It’s a high-stress position in which every misstep is magnified. The ultimate goal of a general manager or president of baseball operations is to place a winning product on the field while managing payroll and personnel to allow the club to be competitive in the future as well.

Based on these criteria, the tenure of Dick Williams as first General Manager and later as President of Baseball Operations can only be categorized as a success. That’s not to say Williams didn’t have his fair share of obstacles to overcome.

Taking over the reins of the front office from Walt Jocketty in November of 2016, Williams inherited a franchise in flux as they were in the midst of a muddled rebuilding effort. However, it didn’t take him long to make an impact. More on that brilliant move to come.

What Dick Williams will be most remembered for will be his willingness to trade highly regarded prospects to acquire quality starting pitching. The franchise has struggled for decades in developing quality starters. Williams was willing to risk losing a potentially good everyday player to boost an anemic pitching staff. Here are three instances in which Williams got it just right.