10. Keith Foulke and Bobby Howry
When the White Sox acquired these two relief pitchers - along with four other minor leaguers - in July 1997 as part of the White Flag Trade, it was seen as a weak return for what the team gave up (Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin and Roberto Hernandez). But in 2000, when the Sox went on to win the division, Foulke and Howry were the team’s two best relievers, throwing a combined 159 innings and saving 41 games.
9. Dennis Eckersley
Known more for his time in the bullpen with Oakland, Eckersley was a key starter for the 1984 division winning Cubs. He won 10 games for the team after being traded from Boston in June of that season. The man the Cubs sent to the Red Sox? None other than Fenway-legend Bill Buckner.
8. Freddy Garcia
While Garcia wasn’t great with the White Sox, his presence on the 2005 World Series team made it worth it for the team to deal Jeremy Reed and Miguel Olivo to Seattle in June 2004. Garcia was 14-8 in the ’05 regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs before being dealt to Philadelphia after the following season.
7. Nomar Garciaparra
The acquisition of the former All-Star shortstop at the 2004 trade deadline was supposed to elevate the Cubs to World Series contender. Instead, the team that dealt him - Boston - wound up winning the title that season. Garciaparra’s Cubs career was filled with injury, and the best player the team got out of that deal was probably outfielder Matt Murton.
6. Jose Contreras
5. Rich Harden
The Cubs response to Milwaukee’s trade for CC Sabathia turned out to be a good move. Harden was 5-1 with 1.77 ERA down the stretch for the 2008 Cubs, helping them to a division title. The Cubs didn’t even give up that much, sending Sean Gallagher and Murton to the A’s for the starting pitcher.
4. Carl Everett
White Sox GM Kenny Williams thought Everett was so nice he traded for him twice. The first time was in July of 2003, and then after leaving as a free agent to the Expos, again in July of ’04. Everett was a key hitter for Sox in 2005, driving in 87 runs that season for the eventual champions.
3. Ken Griffey, Jr.
The Kid wasn’t great on the South Side, but almost anytime a squad can bring in a guy who’ll one day have a plaque in Cooperstown, it’s a good deal. Brought in on at the 2008 trade deadline, Griffey hit only three homers for the Sox, but made an impact in the one-game AL Central playoff, throwing out a runner at home plate to preserve the 1-0 Chicago win.
2. Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton
The Cubs acquired a 25-year old and future All-Star third basemen, as well as the best leadoff hitter of the generation, for the steep price of...Jose Hernandez and Bobby Hill. In July of 2003, GM Jim Hendry pulled off the heist of the decade, helping the Cubs on their way to their first division title in 14 years. Ramirez has fulfilled all expectations during his time with the Cubs, while Lofton was a key player in the ’03 playoff run.
1. Rick Sutcliffe
It would be tough to argue that any player in baseball season has been a better mid-season pickup than the Red Baron. Acquired from the Indians in June of 1984, Sutcliffe went 16-1 that year with an ERA of 2.69, winning the NL Cy Young Award and leading the Cubs to the post-season. He went on to pitch seven more years on the North Side, though none came as close to being as dominant as his ’84 campaign.
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Eli,
I like the list but I am not sure I understand the criteria for the players. There are a couple names missing such as Robbie Alomar going to the White Sox in 03, Charles Johnson in 2000 to the Sox or to my astonishment, Fred McGriff to the Cubs in 2001.
If you remember, McGriff at first held up his no-trade clause to keep his family in Tampa but later waved it at the deadline to join the Cubs.
McGriff, Alomar and Johnson...
Old + over rated = Not good enough to make this list.
And if there is any talk of any of these guys not being old when they came to Chicago, I will remind you that when you used to write on this site, a countless number of times you made it seem that anybody over the age of 32 was old.
And please, don't throw the stats of these three at us. Nobody cares about numbers. Or the idea that two of these retiree's may have played with the White Sox during their championship year. Get over it already. The rest of the world has.
Sutcliffe's numbers look a lot like another ace the Indians recently gave up.
Scott's right, at least two of those three guys he mentioned should be on here.
Anonymous,
First off, to come at me like that without name or merit is cowardly and ridiculous. Because I formerly wrote for the site has absolutely nothing to do with what I wrote to Eli in accordance to this list. Stop trying to take away from their good writing to trash me when I have nothing to do with this website except to support my friends and make an occasional argument.
Secondly, Ken Griffey Jr. is third on this list even though his stint with the White Sox was not particuarly good.
I asked Eli the criteria because for the sake of names Griffey would deserve to be third on this list because he is a hall-of-famer and I would understand Eli's point.
If it WERE based on names, Charles Johnson was an All-Star catcher coming into the Sox with a lot of hype, Robbie Alomar one of the greatest second basemen of an era and Fred McGriff an outstanding slugger from the 90's who nearly reached 500 home runs.
I never ONCE maintained these guys put up great numbers, but they were big name players just like No. 3, Ken Griffey Jr. McGriff was even good the season the Cubs landed him for the stretch run (.282, 12 and 41 in 49 games).
I don't know why you have to bash me putting three names up there, I just didn't know what the intent of the list was and wanted clarification.
Scott,
Sorry for the confusion on the criteria, that was my bad. It was supposed to be players who had the biggest impact, but somewhere I must have mixed it up and made it the biggest names. That's why Griffey is so high and Nomar is even on the list.
Charles Johnson should have been on there, he played a key role for that 2000 Sox squad. Alomar (another guy Kenny traded for multiple times) obviously had his best years behind him when he came to the team, and I tried to have this list be with guys who helped our city's teams to the post season. And Crime Dog was left off because in the time he waited to make up his mind about coming to th Cubs, the team fell out of contention.
Thanks for reading and responding, and once again, sorry for the confusion.
If I don't post my name, it makes me a coward? And how does not posting my name give MY opinion no merit?
My name is Pukingfromthebleachers.
Feel better, douche bag?
Eli,
Understand completely now. McGriff was the first name in my head after the way the Peavy thing turned out yesterday because of the no-trade fiasco and the family scenario. He did put up decent numbers, but you are correct, they didn't really matter much in the scheme of things.
Another name I wanna throw out there that I thought of this afternoon, Rick Aguilera. Granted he was only a middle reliever that 99 season but he had some solid numbers. Not that he includes merit in this list, but an interesting name none-the-less
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