The Baltimore Wire
Fansided

Baltimore Orioles: Five Best Trades Of All Time

By Ben Palmer

Jul 1, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (10) catches his bat after grounding out during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 1, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (10) catches his bat after grounding out during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Sep 28, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) hits a single against Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) hits a single against Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Baltimore Orioles Acquire Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter from Texas Rangers for Koji Uehara

In 2011, the Orioles acquired Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter for relief pitcher Koji Uehara. Now, this is one of those trades where it actually worked out alright for both teams, as Uehara was, and continues to be, a solid reliever, but I think you could really argue that Davis has contributed more to the Orioles than Uehara ever did to the Rangers.

Davis never really had a place in Texas. The team knew he had power, he hit 21 HRs in 2009 for them, but he struck out a ton. Ultimately, the Rangers thought that Mitch Moreland was a better fit at first base for them, and there was certainly no way Davis was going to supplant Adrian Beltre at third base, so he became expendable.

Enter the Baltimore Orioles, who needed offense like Andrew Ridgeley needed George Michael (yea, that’s a Wham reference). Davis seemed like a good fit, Camden Yards is a good park for left-handed power, and he was worth the price of a reliever like Uehara.

The next season, Davis batted .270/.326/.501 with 33 HRs, and followed that up with a .286/.370/.634, 53 HR season. Now, Davis still strikes out like his life depends on it, but he has established himself as one of the top power hitters in the game.

As for Uehara, he spent one season in Texas as a late-inning reliever, posted a 1.75 ERA, and promptly moved on to the Boston Red Sox the following season.

Home/Baltimore Orioles