Fansided

Top 25 MLB trades of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 9: Kenny Lofton #7 of the Cleveland Indians steals second base during the 67th MLB All-Star game against the National League at Veterans Stadium on Tuesday, July 9, 1996 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tom DiPace/MLB Photos)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 9: Kenny Lofton #7 of the Cleveland Indians steals second base during the 67th MLB All-Star game against the National League at Veterans Stadium on Tuesday, July 9, 1996 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tom DiPace/MLB Photos) /

14. Kenny Lofton to the Guardians, 1991

  • Guardians get: Kenny Lofton, Dave Rohde
  • Houston Astros get: Willie Blair, Ed Taubensee

The fact that Kenny Lofton is unlikely to reach Cooperstown while Tim Raines had an entire Internet campaign behind his candidacy is an all-time head scratcher. Raines palyed six more seasons in the big leagues than Lofton and only had 200 more hits than him. Their career lines of .294/.385/.425 (Raines) and .299/.372/.423 (Lofton) are nearly identical. Raines went to the All-Star Game seven times to Lofton’s six, but Lofton won four Gold Gloves. The WAR totals of 69.1 for Raines and 68.2 for Lofton drive this point home even further.

Enough about the injustice surrounding Kenny Lofton and the Hall of Fame. He was the best leadoff in baseball behind Rickey Henderson in the 1990s and Cleveland got him from the Houston Astros for nothing. Lofton went to the All-Star Game six straight times from 1994 to 1999 and led the league in stolen bases five times.

Lofton was the tablesetter who made things work for Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Roberto Alomar and Carlos Baerga as the Guardians were running roughshod over the AL in the 1990s. In 10 years with Cleveland, Lofton hit an even .300 with 87 home runs and 452 stolen bases.

Maybe Lofton isn’t a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, but he’s certainaly not a guy who should have fallen off after his first year on the ballot. Just another injustice of the Steroid Era, I suppose. Hopeful the Veterans Committee will do their job one day in the future.

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