As the debate from the White Sox/Rangers trade continues (Here and here and here.), I wonder whether the results of the trade for either White Sox GM Kenny Williams or Rangers GM Jon Daniels will result in any permanent professional damage.
Then I recalled this beauty of a deal made by a now universally-lauded GM:
07/28/02 Acquired RHP Bartolo Colon and minor league RHP Tim Drew from Cleveland in exchange for 1B Lee Stevens, minor league SS Brandon Phillips, minor league LHP Cliff Lee and minor league OF Grady Sizemore
And then turned Bartolo over in this:
01/15/03 Acquired RHP Orlando Hernandez and RHP Rocky Biddle, INF/OF Jeff Liefer and an undisclosed amount of cash from the Chicago White Sox in a three-team trade involving the New York Yankees, while sending RHP Bartolo Colon and INF Jorge Nunez to the White Sox.
The aforemnetioned GM? The Mets' Omar Minaya. Here is a spreadsheet with all the moves made by Omar Minaya while he was with the Mets and Natspos. He has made a lot of good ones, and, in Rangers' GM Jon Daniels' defense, Mr. Minya also dealt RHP Chris Young for nothing - after fleecing Pittsburgh!
12/20/02 Acquired minor league RHP Chris Young and minor league RHP Jonathan Searles from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Matt Herges...07/18/04 Acquired C Einar Diaz, RHP Justin Echols and cash from the Rangers for C/IF Josh McKinley and RHP Chris Young.