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10 Deadline Day deals with star appeal
- Updated: July 26, 2016
The Cubs woke up on Monday morning with a 7 1/2-game edge on the second-place Cardinals in the National League Central, the biggest lead of any of the six first-place teams. And yet they entered the final week before next Monday’s non-waiver Trade Deadline at the top of the list of potential dealmakers, then showed why by acquiring left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees on Monday afternoon.
Overkill?
Nope. Looking ahead.
There are no guarantees, but the Cubs, much like the Astros back in 1998, are looking for ways to improve their chances come October, not August or September. It didn’t work for the Astros, who got all they could have wanted out of their Deadline deal that year for ace Randy Johnson but were first eliminated in the NL Division Series.
That trade, however, was a headline grabber, arguably the biggest Deadline Day deal in the 30-year history of the non-waiver Trade Deadline.
What is interesting is that the bulk of the attention-grabbing deals on Deadline Day are centered around pitchers. Here’s a look at 10 star-studded deals from past Deadlines.
1989 Mets acquire left-hander Frank Viola and right-hander Jack Savage from Twins for right-handers Rick Aguilera, Kevin Tapani and Tim Drummond, and left-hander David West.
The Mets won 16 of 21 after acquiring Viola, moving from fourth place and seven games out to within 1 1/2 games of the division lead, but they went 18-20 the rest of the way. The Mets were 5-7 in Viola’s starts and he left as a free agent following the 1991 season, having not reached the postseason. The Twins, meanwhile, won the 1991 World Series with Tapani (16-9) in their rotation and Aguilera (42 saves) as their closer.
1993 Blue Jays acquire outfielder Rickey Henderson from A’s for right-handed pitcher Steve Karsay and outfielder Jose Herrera.
Henderson didn’t put up eye-popping stats, but he did go 22-for-24 in stolen bases in the final 34 games while the Blue Jays were on their way to winning the World Series. And then Henderson became a free agent, and signed with, of course, the A’s. A first-round Draft choice in 1990, Karsay battled injuries during an 11-year career.
1997 Cardinals acquire first baseman Mark McGwire from A’s for right-handed pitchers Eric Ludwick, T.J. Mathews and Blake …
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