Baltimore Orioles: Five Best Trades Of All Time
By Ben Palmer
3. Baltimore Orioles Acquire Mike Cuellar, Elijah Johnson, and Enzo Hernandez from Houston Astros for Curt Blefary and John Mason
In 1968, the Orioles acquired three players from the Houston Astros for Curt Blefary and John Mason. Just about all the players in this trade ended up being not being a whole lot, with one major exception, and that was Mike Cuellar.
Cuellar had pitched well as a member of the Astros, but when he came to the Orioles, he kicked it up a notch, and has gone down as one of the best pitchers in Orioles history. The first season Cuellar pitched for the Orioles, he had one of the greatest pitching seasons in Orioles history, pitching a 2.38 ERA and going 23-11, with an average Game Score of 62. That season won him a Cy Young Award (actually, he tied with Tigers pitcher Denny McLain for the Cy Young, the last pitcher to ever tie for the award).
Between 1969 and 1974, Cuellar won 20+ games four separate times and pitched over 290 innings three times. He was a four-time All Star, was key in the Orioles’ 1970 World Series win, and lead the MLB in wins in 1970 with 24.
Also as a fun fact, Cuellar is, as of now, the only pitcher to hit a grand slam in a league championship series, as he hit one in the 1970 ALCS.