10 best MLB waiver trades since 2000

Jul 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hit a solo home run off of Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman (31), not in picture, during the sixth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 24, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins hat and glove in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays mat Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Jon Rauch is hard to miss. At 6-foot-11, he is the tallest player in MLB history. During a brief two-year stint with the Minnesota Twins, however, it was his performance on the baseball diamond that could not be missed.

The Twins traded for Rauch with just over a month left in the 2009 regular season. With the team struggling to find a reliable set-up man, the lanky relief pitcher was viewed as a player who could make an immediate impact for a playoff run. As a result, they sent right-handed pitching prospect Kevin Mulvey to the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Mulvey had shown some promise in the minor leagues, it was a small price to pay for a player that filled a major need through the final stretch of the season.

Rauch was outstanding for the Twins in 2009, recording a 1.72 earned run average while averaging eight strikeouts per nine innings. The next season, he played a vital part in the team’s success by taking over the closer role for the injured Joe Nathan. Rauch would record 21 saves and a 3.12 ERA that year. Minnesota won the American League Central in 2009 and 2010 before being bounced by the New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs each season.

Meanwhile, Mulvey appeared in just eight games for the Diamondbacks, and would not play in the majors after 2010.

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