The 21st century’s 10 most impactful MLB trade deadline deals to date

3. Steal of the century

At the time the deal went down, as part of the 2010 trade deadline activity, nobody saw the impact this trade would have on the fortunes of one team.

On July 31 of that year, the Cardinals, Indians and Padres got together on a three-team, four-player package. The big name was pitcher Jake Westbrook, who went from Cleveland to St. Louis to prop up the Cardinals staff in anticipation of a postseason run.

But the sleeper in the deal turned out to be a 24-year-old Padres minor league pitcher sent to Cleveland in order to pry Westbrook loose to St. Louis. Corey Kluber was still a year away from making his MLB debut, and three years away from establishing himself in Cleveland’s rotation.

But in the annals of deadline trades, no team to date has gotten more for less than the Indians — now Guardians — did in obtaining Kluber for Westbrook.

Kluber won 98 of his 156 decisions in Cleveland before being traded to Texas at the end of 2019. He started three games in the 2016 World Series, winning Games 1 and 4 but being knocked out in Game 7. He led the league in wins twice and in ERA once.

Across 12 seasons in Cleveland, Kluber ran up +34.6 WAR at a minimal cost to Cleveland.

That makes the Kluber deal not only the century’s third-most impactful when all players are considered but also the most one-sided.

Of the other three players in the deal, none amounted to much. Westbrook lasted four so-so seasons in St. Louis but generated only a +1.0 WAR for that portion of his career.

The math: Kluber: +34.6 WAR for Cleveland; Westbrook +1.0 WAR for St. Louis. Net impact: +35.6 WAR.