MLB Trade Deadline: 20 wackiest trade stories in league history

Wackiest MLB trade stories in league history: 2. A suit and some cash will get you the best pitcher

The Cy Young Award is undoubtedly the most coveted prize for any MLB pitcher. It symbolizes one thing and one thing only, sheer dominance from the position.

Although it’s been well over a century since his last appearance on the mound, Cy Young’s numbers still stack up favorably against just about every and anyone in the history of the game. Young’s 163.6 wins above replacement are currently third on the all-time list. His 749 complete games and 511 wins are also good for first on that list as well.

Yet, for as dominant as Young was, he was acquired by the Cleveland Spiders for $300 and a new suit.

To be fair, we need to add a bit of context to this scenario. In today’s day and age, $300 is barely enough for a phone bill but in 1890, it was worth approximately $9,000. While that’s significantly more than $300, that doesn’t appear to be nearly enough for a player who went on to not only have a Hall of Fame career but also one whose name is mentioned every year for an award that’s given out to the best pitchers in the game.