The 21st century’s 10 most impactful MLB trade deadline deals to date
By Bill Felber
5. The Cubs steal a division title
For sheer one-sidededness, only one deal this century amounts to a bigger heist than the one the Cubs pulled off close to the 2003 trade deadline.
For one of the rare times in the past half century, the Cubs were in contention at the 2003 deadline. Although third in the NL Central, they trailed the division-leading Astros by only 5.5 games.
The always hopeful Cubs fans really got their hearts going when news of the July 23 deal with Pittsburgh broke. The Cubs, whose weak points were at third base and center field, covered both of them. They got veteran Kenny Lofton and hot-hitting young third baseman Aramis Ramirez from the Pirates at a cost of middle infielder Jose Hernandez and two prospects.
With a dozen home runs in Pittsburgh, Ramirez added 15 more for the Cubs. Lofton hit .327 as the club’s leadoff man, and between them the two led Chicago to a 38-24 finish. Chicago rushed past both the Cardinals and Astros, beating out Houston by one game before losing that memorable NLCS to the Miami Marlins.
Ramirez remained nine seasons with the Cubs, making an All-Star team and hitting 239 home runs. Lofton left as a free agent following the 2003 season.
The Pirates’ main target, prospect Bobby Hill, never established himself in parts of three seasons in Pittsburgh.
The math: Ramirez and Lofton, +25.9 WAR for Chicago; Hernandez and Hill, +0.2 WAR for Pittsburgh. Net impact: +26.1 WAR.