Top 25 MLB trades of all time

3. Steve Carlton to the Phillies, 1972

Back in 1972, MLB owners and Marvin Miller were still trying to figure out how exactly to do away with the reserve clause while still making sure the players did not get too much power (this is a fun, little game that continues to this day). When a player wanted a new contract, his team’s options were to work out a deal or just trade him and be done with it. When young All-Star left-hander Steve Carlton wanted a new deal before the 1972 season, the St. Louis Cardinals decided to do the smart thing and trade him.

The Philadelphia Phillies were more than happy to take Carlton off the Cardinals hands. It cost them Rick Wise, a decent pitcher, but nothing special. Over a 15-year career with the Phillies, Carlton would take himself from a solid All-Star to a slam-dunk hall of Famer.

While with the Phillies, Carlton went 241-161 with four NL Cy Youngs. In his first year after the trade, Lefty went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA, 30 complete games, eight shutouts and 310 strikeouts to win his first Cy Young.

Carlton was one of the most durable pitchers in MLB in an era where starters still finished most of their outings. He led the league in innings five times and went over 300 innings twice. Carlton also led the league in strikeouts five times and wins four times. After getting close multiple times, Carlton and the Phillies finally won the World Series in 1980 (his third Cy Young year).