There have been many lopsided trades in MLB‘s recent history.
We have the Jose Quintana deal that netted the Chicago White Sox players such as Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease; and the Colorado Rockies paying the St. Louis Cardinals to take Nolan Arenado off their hands.
However, the Marcell Ozuna one in late 2017 may be the best of them all, at least according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
“Best trade of the last decade? Has to be Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Daniel Castano and Magneuris Sierra for Marcell Ozuna,” Heyman tweeted.
Best trade of the last decade? Has to be Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, Daniel Castano and Magneuris Sierra for Marcell Ozuna
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 19, 2022
Right around the time in which the Miami Marlins traded fellow outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees, they also flipped Ozuna, fresh off a 37-homer, 124-RBI season.
The Marlins Fleeced The Cardinals
That deal netted them current Cy Young award favorite Sandy Alcantara (1.92 ERA in 173 innings), excellent pitcher Zac Gallen, and two additional pitchers.
Castano, for example, had a 4.04 ERA in 35.2 innings with the Marlins in 2022.
The Marlins used Gallen in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks to bring in star second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Chisholm developed into an All-Star, slashing .254/.325/.535 with 14 homers and 12 stolen bases before suffering an injury.
Overall, the Marlins got two All-Stars in exchange for a player who was involved in a domestic violence case last year and in a DUI arrest a few hours ago.
That’s too much baggage for Ozuna to keep his roster spot, but he remains a part of the Atlanta Braves.
Gallen is starring for the D-Backs, while Chisholm and Alcantara turned into stars for the Marlins, too.
They may regret the Stanton deal (although their hands were tied), but they are likely very happy they traded Ozuna for that package.
