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

6. Cubs acquire Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop, July 2, 2013

Rebuilding efforts take patience, shrewd player evaluation skills, and luck. When the Chicago Cubs hired Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to oversee their rebuild, they put themselves in a great position.

The Cubs suffered through a 61-101 season in 2012, the first year under the new front office management team. In 2013, on their way to another disappointing finish, Chicago jumped at an opportunity to acquire Orioles two pitchers – Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop – for pitcher Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger. Three years later, both played a major role in helping the Cubs win their first World Series title in more than a century.

A former top prospect, Arrieta struggled through his first four major league seasons, posting a higher ERA in each subsequent year with the O’s. After five starts for the club in 2013, the 27-year-old had a 7.23 ERA. However, after the trade he posted a 3.66 ERA in nine starts with the Cubs.

Arrieta broke out in 2014, posting a 2.53 ERA in 25 starts and finishing in the top 10 of the NL Cy Young vote. In 2015, he won the Award after finishing 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA, including an MLB best four complete games and three shutouts, one of which was a no-hitter against the Dodgers August 30. In 2016, Arrieta anchored the starting rotation with a 3.10 ERA in 31 starts, and again finished in the top 10 of the Cy Young vote. He also earned victories in World Series Game 2 and Game 6.

Finding an ace at the trade deadline is an awesome feeling for a rebuilding club, but let’s not overlook Strop, who has a 2.66 ERA in 278 appearances across five seasons with the Cubs. Strop also tossed two shutout innings in three appearances in the World Series.