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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BOSTON – JULY 30: Angels first baseman Mark Teixeira gave the ball a good ride on his first swing in his new uniform, but it ended up as a long fly ball out to center field in the first inning as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim played the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek is at left. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON – JULY 30: Angels first baseman Mark Teixeira gave the ball a good ride on his first swing in his new uniform, but it ended up as a long fly ball out to center field in the first inning as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim played the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek is at left. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

19. Mark Teixeira to the Angels, 2008

  • Angels get: Mark Teixeira
  • Braves get: Casey Kotchman, Stephen Marek

Trading Mark Teixeira at the deadline was the hot thing to do in the late 2000s. He went from the Texas Rangers to the Atlanta Braves on July 31, 2007 and then went again from the Braves to the Los Angeles Angels on July 27, 2008. The Braves initial deal with the Rangers saw them trade away MLB regulars Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Matt Harrison.

The Angels were able to get Teixeira for a song and dance compared to what the Braves initially gave up to get him. Kotchman had a solid 10-year career as a role player but never ascended to an All-Star. Marek never played in the major leagues. In return, the Angels got 54 games from Tex where he hit .358/.449/.632 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI.

This Teixeira trade gets forgotten because the Angels went out of the playoffs in the first round, losing the ALDS to the Boston Red Sox in four games. That loss was no fault of Teixeira, as he hit .467/.550/.467.

After lighting it up as a rental bat, Teixeira landed a massive eight-year deal with the New York Yankees. He led the AL in home runs and RBI in his first year in the Bronx and helped the Yankees win the World Series. Teixeira retired following the 2016 season with 409 home runs. Injuries in the back end of his career kept him from a shot at 500 home runs and the Hall of Fame. In his prime, Teixeira was one of the best switch-hitters in MLB history and a smooth first baseman with five Gold Gloves.

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