Fansided

The 30 worst trades in MLB history

By David Rouben

Oct 18, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning in game two of the NLCS at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning in game two of the NLCS at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 18, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta warms up before game two of the NLCS against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta warms up before game two of the NLCS against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

19: Jake Arrieta to the Cubs

The trade: Chicago Cubs received Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop

Baltimore received Scott Feldman, Steve Clevenger, and cash

Watching the NL Cy Young presentation must’ve stung for the Baltimore Orioles organization. Lacking a true ace but having a wealth of power hitters, imagine how good the Orioles would be if they had held on to Jake Arrieta. Instead, after witnessing Arrieta’s historic second half of the season for the Cubs, they are left wondering what could’ve been.

Arrieta was with the Orioles for four years. In 2012, he started the season 3-9 with a 6.13 ERA before being sent back down. The Orioles thought they were getting rid of dead weight when they gave him to the Cubs, but instead they gave them a future Cy Young winner.

Scott Feldman spent just one season in Baltimore, pitching to a 5-6 record with a 4.27 ERA before he got shipped off to the Astros. Steve Clevenger, meanwhile, has 2 home runs in 3 seasons with the Orioles. Do I need to bring up Arrieta’s numbers now? Okay, fine.

Arrieta’s second-half of the 2015 season was literally historic. After the All-Star break, he posted an ERA of 0.75 – the lowest mark in MLB history. He gave up a total of nine runs in 15 starts, amassing a 12-1 record. Outside of a complete-game shutout against the Pirates, Arrieta’s post-season numbers left much to be desired. However, that shouldn’t take away from his award-winning season, plus he’s in the prime of his career so he’ll adjust that sooner rather than later.

Next: 18: Joe Jackson to the Indians

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