3 biggest MLB Winter Meetings deals in Reds history

Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings are frequently the site of wheeling and dealing as general managers spend four days hashing out rules and plans for the coming season. The event’s 120-plus-year history has seen a number of high-profile deals and even more rumors that went bust. The Cincinnati Reds have occasionally been the center of it all.

Unfortunately, many of the deals that the Reds have been involved in during the MLB Winter Meetings have been unfavorable. For example, Cincinnati is probably still kicking itself for trading Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles in 1965. Luckily, a few moves have played out in the Reds’ favor.

3 biggest MLB Winter Meetings deals in Reds history

The Reds re-signed star pitchers Paul Derringer & Bucky Walters (1939)

Cincinnati hosted its first and (to date) only Winter Meetings from December 4-9, 1939. Coming off a World Series loss to the New York Yankees, the Reds sought to continue their winning ways. The first order of business was retaining the star pitching staff. The Reds first inked their No. 2 hurler, Paul Derringer, allegedly offering him a blank contract — he named his own price at $20,000. Cincinnati then re-signed reigning MVP and ace Bucky Walters to a two-year deal at a similar price point.

Walters and Derringer led the Reds on a redemption tour in 1940, finishing third and fourth in MVP voting (teammate Frank McCormick took home the prize). The pair polished off the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, winning two games a piece and contributing a combined 81.89% cWPA.

Reds strike Rule 5 gold with Ted Abernathy (1966)

The Rule 5 Draft is not generally considered a star-making endeavor, but the Reds nabbed a winner at the Winter Meetings in Columbus in 1966. Ted Abernathy, who had more than 300 big league games under his belt and led the majors in saves in 1965, slipped through the Braves’ fingers and landed with Cincinnati.

The right-handed reliever was resurgent in 1967, once again leading the league in saves and posting a 1.27 ERA. His 61 games finished that season would stand as a franchise record until Tom Hume finished 62 in 1980.

The greatest Reds trade of them all bring Joe Morgan to Cincinnati (1971)

Just two days into the 1971 Winter Meetings in Phoenix, Arizona, the Reds made a franchise-altering move. Cincinnati and Houston agreed to an eight-player trade that seemed, at first, to be another bonehead play by the Reds. Cincy parted ways with first baseman Lee May, who had slugged .532 in 1971, and second baseman Tommy Helms, a former Rookie of the Year who was coming off his second Gold Glove Award. The deal also included light-hitting utility outfielder Jimmy Stewart (not the actor).

In exchange, the Reds received future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan (and a few other supplementary pieces). Just how good was Morgan for the Reds? During his eight years in Cincinnati, he nearly doubled the career WAR output of the three players he was traded for.

These are but a few of the Winter Meetings deals that have shaped Reds history, and as the front office gears up for the trip to Dallas, fans hold out hope that another fortunate move is on the way.

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