Biggest MLB Trade Deadline Steals And Blockbusters Of The 21st Century

Desperation makes for great baseball drama. With Monday’s trade deadline fast approaching, contenders are ready to mortgage their futures for a ring and a single blockbuster deal could shift the balance of power overnight.

July’s trade deadline is baseball’s ultimate high-stakes gamble. Over the years, some moves have delivered World Series MVPs, while others fell short and left teams with nothing to show for the blue-chip prospects they traded away.

Here are the 10 most impactful MLB Trade Deadline deals since 2000:

Texas Rangers

The Rangers swung for the fences at the 2010 deadline. They traded Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, Matthew Lawson and $2.25 million in cash to the Seattle Mariners for Lee and Mark Lowe. 

Lee proved to be the ultimate missing piece for the Rangers, leading them to its first World Series appearance in franchise history.

The Impact

Lee was everything the Rangers traded for and more. He tore through the American League playoffs, posting three double-digit strikeout starts and putting on an absolute clinic with a 1.26 ERA and 3-0 record.

The Rangers lost the World Series to the San Francisco Giants in five games, but Lee’s heroic postseason run won’t ever be forgotten.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros pulled off one of the unique trade deadline deals in recent memory through a three-team blockbuster. 

The Astros acquired Beltrán in the deal, while the Kansas City Royals landed a pair of prospects in John Buck, Mike Wood, and Mark Teahen. The Oakland Athletics rounded out the deal by acquiring Octavio Dotel.

The Impact

Beltrán’s impact was short-lived with the Astros. He played well during the playoffs, hitting eight home runs during their playoff run, but he ended up leaving