MLB Trade Deadline: Top 25 midseason deals of all-time

16. Diamondbacks acquire Curt Schilling, July 26, 2000

Sometimes an important trade deadline deal has a delayed impact. The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Curt Schilling a few days ahead of the deadline in 2000, and though he helped Arizona post its second winning season in its first three years as an MLB franchise, Schilling and the D-Backs missed the postseason.

Schilling made 13 starts for the Diamondbacks in 2000, going 5-6 with four complete games and one shutout. He posted a 3.69 ERA and struck out 72 hitters in 97.2 innings.

However, Schilling’s impact was far greater in 2001. Teaming up with Randy Johnson as arguably the greatest one-two punch in history, Schilling led the majors with 22 wins, six complete games and 256.2 innings in his first full season in Arizona. He posted a 2.98 ERA with 293 strikeouts in 35 starts, and finished second in the NL Cy Young race to Johnson.

More importantly, Schilling helped the Diamondbacks win the NL West. In just his second postseason, the 34-year old was practically unhittable. Schilling tossed three complete games in his three starts combined between the NLDS and NLCS, winning all three starts to help propel the D-Backs to the World Series.

Schilling made three starts in the Fall Classic, winning Game 1, with seven strong innings, and taking the mound for 7.1 innings in Game 7, which the Diamondbacks won in dramatic walk-off fashion. Schilling posted a 1.69 ERA with 26 strikeouts and just two walks to earn World Series MVP honors.