The Andersen-Bagwell Trade: Who Got the Best Deal? 12/4/14

Hey baseball fans!

Big moves are being made all across baseball! Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval are heading to Boston, while the Jays just signed Russell Martin and traded for Josh Donaldson. However, I'm not going to talk about those transactions. Instead, let's discuss one of the the most lopsided trades in baseball history.

Trade: Jeff Bagwell of the Red Sox for Larry Andersen of the Astros
When? 1990
What Happened? Andersen was a decent right-handed veteran relief pitcher for the Houston Astros. Bagwell was a star on the rise in Boston who was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 1989 draft. The Red Sox needed a relief pitcher down the stretch, so they got Larry in exchange for Jeff.
Immediate Impact: Andersen would go on to pitch for the Sox for one month down the stretch in 1990, recording a 1.35 ERA in 15 games. The Sox won the AL East on the last day of the season, but got swept in the ALCS by the Athletics. Meanwhile, Bagwell was playing in the minors and didn't move up into the Major Leagues until 1991.
What Happened Next: Andersen actually left the Red Sox after the 1990 season due to free agency and was signed by the Padres. He played two years in San Diego, then two more years with the Phillies before retiring in 1994. He actually recorded some nice stats in his last five years of his career with the Red Sox, Padres, and Phils, but it was nothing compared to what Jeff Bagwell did for the Astros. He hit over 400 home runs and drove in 1,529 RBIs in his should-be Hall of Fame career from 1991 to 2005. The 1994 MVP batted .297 lifetime and the first baseman's number five has been retired by the Astros organization.
Who Won? The Astros, hands down.

The Winner 

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I  hope you liked this new kind of post. Thanks for reading it. Do you agree that the Astros came up on top? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."