It was announced last night that the Minnesota Twins had made the decision to deal their ace pitcher, Johan Santana, to the New York Mets pending the Mets hammering out a multi year extension with the former Cy Young winner.  What did the Twins get in return, you ask?  Surely a bona fide major leaguer or two plus some kids right?  You would be wrong.

The Twins got four prospects in exchange, none of them the top prospect in the Mets chain, or their top pitching prospect either.  The Twins would get Carlos Gomez, Kevin Mulvey, Philip Humber and Deolis Guerra in exchange for one of the top pitchers in the majors the past five years.  Experts tabbed that package as being the fourth best package that was offered for Santana.

That leads me to today's topic:  horrifically lopsided deals that swing the pendulum of a player's career, or in some cases, the direction of a franchise altogether.  We see deals that leave us scratching our heads, wondering what that GM or owner was thinking when they pulled the trigger.  Here is a look at some of the more well known head scratchers in the history of sports:

 1.  The Flyers deal for Eric Lindros:  Lindros was the first overall pick by the Quebec Nordiques in 1991, despite his statements that he would never wear a Quebec sweater.  He didn't even wear the Quebec sweater on draft day.  The president of the Nordiques vowed that Lindros would never play in the NHL unless he played for them. 

In 1992, the Nordiques were pressed to work a deal and ended up striking one with the Rangers and one with the Flyers.  Larry Bertuzzi, Todd Bertuzzi's great uncle, was the arbitrator selected to hear the case, and he ruled in favor of Philadelphia.  Lindros was Philadelphia bound, with the package going to Quebec consisting of Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Steve Duschene, a first round pick in 1993 that became Jocelyn Thibault, a second first rounder, and $15 million.

The Nordiques, who would relocate to Colorado in 1995, would become a powerhouse, winning eight division titles and two Stanley Cups.  Lindros got the Flyers to the finals once, where they were swept by Detroit, one of just two seasons when he played at least 73 games in his thirteen year career.

 2.  Brock for Broglio:  The Cubs, known for their postseason misfortunes, had a talented young outfielder named Lou Brock in the early 1960s.  However, Brock wasn't coming along as well as expected, prompting the Cubs to deal him in a deadline deal in 1964 to the St. Louis Cardinals.  Brock went to St. Louis along with Jack Spring and Paul Toth, in exchange for Ernie Broglio, Bobby Shantz and Doug Clemens. 

The primaries in the deal, Brock and Broglio, couldn't have gone in more diametrically opposed directions.  Brock would go on to hit .348 the rest of the year while stealing 38 bases, helping the Cards to the World Series, which they would end up winning.  Broglio, who had been solid in previous years, would go 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA the rest of 1964, and won just seven games for the Cubs.  He was out of baseball by the end of 1966, and this trade is regarded by many Cubs fans as the worst deal in the long history of the franchise.

 3.  Minnesota goes after Herschel Walker:  The Vikings, desperate to get a game breaker at running back, went after Herschel Walker.  Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner and two time USFL rushing leader, was a member of the Dallas Cowboys when Minnesota came calling.  It was the biggest trade in NFL history, as 18 players and picks changed hands.  The deal is simply known as "The Trade."

On October 12, 1989, the Vikings sent  Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Issiac Holt, Darrin Nelson, Alex Stewart, first round picks in 1990, 1991 and 1993, 2nd round picks in 1990, 1991, and 1992, a third round pick in 1992, and a 6th round pick in 1990.  In exchange, the Vikings received Walker, Dallas's third round picks in 1990 and 1991, San Diego's 5th round pick in 1990, and Dallas's 10th rounder in 1990.

Jimmy Johnson would pick Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson, then leverage some of the other acquired picks to get the #1 overall pick in 1991, which netted Dallas Russell Maryland.  Those picks bolstered Dallas into a powerful team for the majority of the 1990s, including three Super Bowl titles.  The Vikings did nothing with Walker, as he failed to gain 1000 yards in a season during his two and a half year tenure in Minnesota. 

 4.  Sonics deal away Scottie Pippen:  The Sonics, led by a trio of talented players in sniper Dale Ellis, Tom Chambers and a banger in Xavier McDaniel, all of whom averaged 23 plus points per game in the 1986-87 season, drafted Scottie Pippen with the fifth overall selection in the 1987 draft.

The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, had Michael Jordan and little else going for them going into the 1987 draft, as Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game, while the next leading scorer was Charles Oakley with 14.5 points a game.  Other than that, Chicago was a bunch of role players, fringe talents, and no real bona fide talents.  The Bulls held two top ten picks, taking Olden Polynice 8th overall and Horace Grant 10th. 

The Sonics, needing a big man, dealt Pippen to the Bulls in a one for one exchange for Polynice.  The deal was a bust.  Pippen would go on to become one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, named to the All Defensive Team 10 times, was a member of six NBA Championship teams, and he also is one of only five NBA players to lead a team in every major statistical category in a season, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in the 1994-95 season.  On the flip side, in Polynice's career, he averaged just 23.5 minutes per game, and 7.8 points with 6.7 rebounds per contest.

 5.  The Blackhawks give up the Dominator:  Dominik Hasek was selected in the 1983 draft, but toiled in relative anonymity in his native Czechoslovakia until 1990.  He was the top player of the Czechoslovak Extraliga in 1987, 1989 and 1990 and the league's goaltender of the year for 1986, 87, 88, 89 and 90.  When Communist rule ended in 1989, it gave Hasek a chance to pursue his dream of playing in the NHL. 

Hasek spent parts of two seasons with the Indianapolis Ice before getting called up to the parent Blackhawks.  Hasek was entrenched as the backup however, as the Hawks had their own stalwart goaltender, Ed Belfour, as the starter between the pipes.  He would play just 25 games over two seasons in a Blackhawks uniform, with his first start November 6, 1990 in a 1-1 tie with the Hartford Whalers.

After being swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by Pittsburgh to end the 1991-92 season, the Hawks dealt Hasek to Buffalo for Stephane Beauregard and future considerations, which turned out to be a draft pick that the Hawks used to draft Eric Daze, on August 7, 1992.  Hasek would go on to win back to back Hart Trophies, back to back Pearson Trophies, two Jennings Trophies, six Vezinas, and was named a NHL First Team All Star Selection five times.

Beauregard would be property of the Hawks for all of 72 hours, as he was shipped to Winnipeg for Christian Ruutuu August 10, 1992.  Ironically, it was Ruutuu who went to Winnipeg in exchange for Beauregard when he was initially dealt to Buffalo in June of 1992.  He was out of the NHL after the 1993-94 season.

 6.  Celtics get two thirds of their Big Three:  In 1980, the Celtics, through some shrewd wheeling and dealing by Red Auerbach, had obtained the top pick in the draft.  Auerbach dealt that pick plus a second first round pick to Golden State, in returning procuring center Robert Parish and the third overall pick.  That pick would turn into Kevin McHale, who, when teamed with Parish and Bird, would form a trio that led the Celtics to five Eastern Conference championships and three NBA titles. 

All three are now members of the Hall of Fame.  As for that first overall pick?  You've heard me talk about Joe Barry Carroll before.  Dubbed Joe Barely Cares by fans tired of his apathetic play, Carroll had a few good seasons, but the Warriors struggled and never were true threats in the Western Conference.  He is considered a bust, especially compared to what was given up to get him.

 7.  Boston deals away Bagwell:  Boston drafted Bagwell in the fourth round of the 1989 draft.  He was considered a talented, good prospect, but he was buried behind proven talent such as Mo Vaughn and Wade Boggs at the corner infield positions. 

The Sox, needing a reliever down the stretch, dealt Bagwell to the Houston Astros on August 30, 1990 for a 36 year old left handed reliever named Larry Andersen.  Andersen helped pitch Boston to the AL East flag, winning on the final day of the season, as he allowed just three runs in 22 innings of work for a 1.23 ERA.  Unfortunately, Boston was swept in the ALCS by Oakland, then were unable to retain Andersen, as he went to San Diego via free agency.  Talk about the epitome of a rental player.

Bagwell would go on to play fifteen seasons in Houston, finishing with a career average of .297 with 449 homers, 1529 RBI, an NL MVP award in 1994, three Silver Slugger Awards, a Gold Glove and was a four time All Star.  He, along with Craig Biggio and then Lance Berkman, formed the Killer B's in Houston.

 8.  Broncos lasso Elway:   The Baltimore Colts drafted Elway with the first overall pick in the 1983 draft, but like Lindros above, stated publicly that he refused to play for the organization, saying that he didn't feel that the team could allow him to be successful.  He went on to state that if Baltimore did draft him, that he would continue to play baseball, as he had played two seasons in the New York Yankees system at this point. 

After a bit of a standoff, Colts owner Robert Irsay gave in and dealt Elway to Denver on May 2, 1983.  In exchange, the Colts received quarterback Mark Herrmann, guard/tackle Chris Hinton, and a first round pick in 1984 which became lineman Ron Solt.  Hinton turned out to be good, going to seven Pro Bowls in his career, but Herrmann was gone from the Colts franchise after 1984.

Elway, by the way, was inducted in the Hall of Fame.  He is the only quarterback in NFL history to start five Super Bowls, and he has two Super Bowl rings.  He was named to nine Pro Bowl teams, won the MVP in 1987, two time offensive player of the year, was on the All Decade Team of the 1990s, and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII.

 9.  The Reds deal an "old" Frank Robinson:  Frank Robinson had a proficient decade for the Reds after being called upon in 1956, when he was named Rookie of the Year in 1956 as he tied the then record for home runs by a rookie with 38.  The Reds won the NL flag in 1961, the same year Robinson won the MVP, though the Yankees would derail the Reds World Series hopes. 

Prior to the 1966 season, Reds owner Bill DeWitt dealt Robinson to Baltimore, in exchange for Milt Pappas, who was a bona fide ace at the time, Jack Baldschun, and Dick Simpson.  DeWitt famously defended the deal to disgruntled Cincinnati fans by saying that Robinson was "a old 30."  Robinson would go on to only win the Triple Crown in 1966 with the O's, hitting .316 with 49 homers and 122 runs batted in.  Coupled with that, the Orioles won the World Series, and he was named Series MVP, something the Reds couldn't do while he was there.

The Orioles would win three consecutive pennants with Robinson on the club, from 1969-1971, including a World Series title over his former team, the Reds, in 1970.  Pappas would post a mark of 30-29 mark in two plus seasons in Cincinnati before being dealt to Atlanta during the 1968 season.  Baldschun was 1-5 in 51 appearances covering two seasons with the Reds, and Simpson was just 34 of 138 with 20 RBI in parts of two seasons before fading out of the Reds organization.

10.  Hornets deal away a prime piece of Kobe:  Before he was chosen as the 13th overall draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw potential in Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts. He went on to state that Bryant's workouts were some of the best he had seen. Immediately after the draft, Bryant expressed that he did not wish to play for the Hornets and wanted to play for the Lakers instead. Fifteen days later, West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the young Kobe Bryant.

Bryant has gone on to be a 9 time All Star, part of three championship teams, two time scoring champ, 7 time All Defensive Selection, and a two time All Star Game MVP.  Meanwhile, Divac would only play two seasons in Charlotte, averaging 12.6 points and 9 rebounds in 96-97 then slipping to 10.4 points and 8.1 boards a game in 97-98 before moving on to Sacramento.

11.  Marshall Faulk joins the Greatest Show on Turf:  After a tumultuous 1998 season in Indianapolis where Faulk missed practices and was considered to be holding out for a new contract (Faulk termed these "misunderstandings,") Faulk was dealt to the St. Louis Rams for second and fifth round picks in the 1999 draft. 

While those picks panned out to be LB Mike Peterson and DE Brad Scioli, both solid players, their talent paled compared to Faulk's.  Faulk would be the catalyst for the Greatest Show on Turf, setting the record for total yards from scrimmage with 2,429.  With 1381 rushing yards, and 1048 receiving yards, he joined Roger Craig as the only two running backs with 1000 + rushing and receiving yards in the same season. 

After the deal, Faulk would go on to three more Pro Bowls, three NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards, one NFL MVP award, two Pro Football Writers Association MVP Awards and was the Rams MVP three straight years.

12.  The selling of the Babe:  After the 1919 season, Ruth demanded a raise to $20,000-double his previous salary. However, Frazee refused, and Ruth responded by letting it be known he wouldn't play until he got his raise. He'd actually jumped the team several times, including the last game of the 1919 season.

Frazee finally lost patience with Ruth, and decided to trade him. However, he was effectively limited to two trading partners--the Chicago White Sox and the then-moribund Yankees. The other five clubs rejected his deals out of hand under pressure from American League president Ban Johnson, who never liked Frazee and was actively trying to "Yank" the Red Sox out from under him. The White Sox offered Shoeless Joe Jackson and $60,000, but Yankees ownership offered an all-cash deal--$100,000.

Frazee, Ruppert and Huston quickly agreed to a deal. In exchange for Ruth, the Red Sox would get $125,000 in cash and three $25,000 notes payable every year at 6 percent interest. Ruppert and Huston also loaned Frazee $300,000, with the mortgage on Fenway Park as collateral. The deal was contingent on Ruth signing a new contract, which was quickly agreed to, and Ruth officially became property of the Yankees on December 26, 1919. The deal was announced ten days later.

The rest is history.  Ruth would hit .376 and slam 54 homers in his first year as a Yankee, and would go on to finish his career with 714 homers, a record for 39 years until Hank Aaron broke it.  He posted a career .342 mark at the plate with a .690 slugging percentage.  The Sox would not win a World Series again until 2004, when the supposed "Curse of the Bambino" was broken.

13.  Mets deal the Ryan Express:  Nolan Ryan was a key cog in the Amazing Mets 1969 run to the World Series crown, as he pitched seven innings of relief to lead the Mets to a win over the Braves in the NLCS, completing a sweep.  He then saved game three of the World Series, throwing 2 1/3 innings in that win over Baltimore, giving the Mets a 2-1 series lead en route to a five game series win. 

However, by 1971 Ryan was frustrated in New York and was considering retiring from baseball.  He went to the Mets front office requesting a trade.  On December 10th, 1971, his wish was granted.

Ryan was dealt to the California Angels along with teammates Don Rose, Francisco Estrada, and Leroy Stanton in exchange for Jim Fregosi.  Fregosi was an All Star six of seven seasons from 1964 to 1970 but was past his prime.  Fregosi would struggle, hitting .232 in his one full season in the Big Apple. 

Ryan, on the other hand, would go on to throw seven no hitters, set a record for strikeouts with an unprecedented 5,714, win 324 games, and be selected to eight All Star Games.  He also owned the single season strikeout mark, tallying 383 in 1973, breaking Sandy Koufax's mark by one. 

 
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