Ranking the Biggest Moves in MLB Trade Deadline History

We rank the top 10 most impactful MLB trade deadline signings of all time.

The deadline has been the center of some of the most important deals in history, and here we rank what we feel is the top 10. 

10. 1998 - Randy Johnson to the Astros; Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen and a player to be named (John Halama) to the Mariners

The most feared lefty in baseball was on the move in the summer of ‘98. Randy Johnson was traded from the Mariners to the Astros, and in just 11 starts with Houston that season, the Big Unit was 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA.

This trade also happens to be one of the latest deals to ever happen since Houston and Seattle agreed on the terms with just 30 seconds before the deadline.

9. 1998 - Mark McGwire to the Cardinals; T. J. Mathews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein to the Athletics

One of the best sluggers this game has ever seen arrived in St. Louis as a rental, but his extraordinary performance caused the Cardinals to reconsider.

After signing an extension, Mark McGwire went on to break the single-season home run record in the next season. The McGwire trade will go down as one of the best, and most important, trades the Cardinals have ever done.

8. 2004 - Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs; Orlando Cabrera to the Red Sox

All it took for the Red Sox to break the Curse of the Bambino was to trade away Nomar Garciaparra apparently!

Or as the people in Boston know him as - “Nomah”. Orlando Cabrera made an immediate impact on the Sox and the blockbuster trade proved to be exactly what Boston needed to win the World Series in 2004.

7. 2017 - Justin Verlander to the Astros; Franklin Pérez, Jake Rogers, and Daz Cameron to the Tigers

Justin Verlander had cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, and just seconds before the trade deadline occurred, the Astros pulled off a blockbuster by sending three prospects in return for the ace.

Verlander went on to help Houston win the World Series that season.

6. 2015 - Yoenis Céspedes to the Mets; Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa to the Tigers

This deadline trade turned out to be very successful for both teams. Yoenis Cespedes had a decent season for the Tigers before the Mets took a chance on him, and he quickly became a fan favorite with his raw power.

He became a star in New York overnight. As for Michael Fulmer, he went on to win Rookie of the Year and earned an All-Star appearance for Detroit.

5. 2008 - CC Sabathia to the Brewers; Matt LaPorta, Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson and a player to be named (Michael Brantley) to the Guardians

The Brewers needed a reliable pitcher and Sabathia fit their needs perfectly.

After joining Milwaukee, CC pitched an insane 130.2 innings in just 83 days. He became the workhorse that the Brewers needed and even got them to the postseason.

On the other side, Michael Brantley became a star for the Guardians and had a fabulous and long career in Cleveland.

4. 2008 - Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers; Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris (from L.A.) and Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss to the Pirates; Jason Bay to the Red Sox

Manny Ramirez wore out his welcome in Boston after a few interesting comments to reporters, so the Red Sox sent him to the Dodgers.

Ramirez became the star in Hollywood as he hit .396 in 53 games for the Dodgers as L.A. won the NL West. Even though he played just two months in the National League, Manny finished fourth in the NL MVP vote!

3. 2021 - Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers; Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray, Donovan Casey and Gerardo Carrillo to the Nationals

Just two years prior, the Nationals had won the World Series. By 2021, they realized they wouldn’t be able to afford everyone and had to start dealing.

One of the first moves was at the deadline as they shipped away two cornerstones of the franchise - Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. Both made an impact for the Dodgers, but neither stayed long term.

2. 2008 - Mark Teixeira to the Angels; Casey Kotchman, Stephen Marek to the Braves

Before Mark Teixeira wore pinstripes, he was at the center of a massive deadline deal.

The Angels were in desperate need of another bat to pair with Vladimir Guerrero, so they went after Tex. The first baseman turned out to be just a rental, but he still slashed .358 in 54 games with the Halos and carried them to the American League Divisional Series. 

1. 2022 - Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres; C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood to the Nationals

It was time for the Nationals to rebuild, and that meant they had to trade Juan Soto and Josh Bell.

Washington wasn’t going to be able to afford Soto in the upcoming offseason which meant he was a guaranteed goner at the deadline.

San Diego acquired Soto and Bell, who are both no longer on the team.

As for the Nats, C.J. Abrams just became an All-Star, MacKenzie Gore is the face of the rotation, and James Wood just made his Nats debut. The Nationals won that trade.