Big Deal!

By Mike Whiteman December 15, 2024 Baseball fans, and right now Yankees rooters particularly, have a bit of what I call "hot stove fever". I know I have an acute case. We hope for and eagerly await the moves that Brian Cashman orchestrates to set up the 2025 roster. I find myself often checking in at MLB Trade Rumors for the latest in speculation and updates. Of course we know that Yankee history is filled with trades executed by the front office which brought legends into the Bronx. Some, like acquisitions of Babe Ruth, Roger Clemens, and recently Juan Soto were recognized as big deals at the time. Others, like trades for Red Ruffing, Graig Nettles, and Paul O'Neill, unknowingly resulted in picking up franchise royalty. Still more deals were small pickups that are footnotes in the franchise's long history. But there was no trade quite like the one concluded on December 1, 1954. I say concluded because it was big enough to take about two weeks to complete. On this date the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles completed a 17-player swap, the largest in baseball history. The Yanks were coming off of their first season without a pennant since 1948, and with their pitching staff aging, their brain trust went looking for youth to replenish the mound corps. The deal: Traded to Baltimore: Harry Byrd - A 29-year-old pitcher coming off a 9-7, 2.99, 1954 season for the Yankees. Jim McDonald - 27-year-old righthander, was 4-1, 3.17 in a swingman-type role for the Yanks. Gus Triandos - Catcher/firstbaseman who batted .296 with 18 homeruns playing for AAA Kansas City.

Willie Miranda - Slick fielding shortstop who in 1954 was utilized as a frequent late-game substitute by manager Casey Stengel. Hal Smith - Catcher was the 1954 American Association (AAA) batting champion with a .350 average. Gene Woodling - An underrated part of the Yankee dynasty that won five World Series in a row from 1949-1953. The 32-year outfielder old slashed .285/.388/.434 with a 124 OPS+ in Pinstripes. Much to his frustration, the lefty hitter was often sat down against lefthanded pitchers. Bill Miller - Lefty hurler with a 6-8, 3.95 career line in New York. Kal Segrist - A 23-year-old outfielder - batted .291 with 15 home runs for AAA Kansas City in 1954. Don Leppert - 24-year-old sparkplug second baseman who just slashed .313/.381/.439 for AA Birmingham. Traded to New York: Billy Hunter - Baltimore's starting shortstop in 1953 and 1954. Was a skilled gloveman and 1953 American League All-Star. A .229 career batter at this point in his career. Don Larsen - A big 25-year-old righthander who was coming off a 3-21, 4.37, 1954 season, and was 10-33, 4.27 over his short two-year career. Mike Blyzka - Reliver had a 4.69 ERA in Baltimore in 1954. Darrell Johnson - Light hitting catcher with 51 games of experience with the St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox. Jim Fridley - 30-year-old reserve outfielder, slashed .246/.311/.371 for the Orioles in 1954. Dick Kryhoski - A sweet swinging lefty first baseman who had slashed .266/.314/.407 in 514 games for the Yankees (in 1949), Tigers, and Browns/Orioles. Theodore Del Guercio - Outfielder, 26-year-old career minor leaguer. Bob Turley - The gem of the deal. The 24-year-old pitcher was an All-Star in 1954. His 14 wins and 3.46 ERA were quite impressive considering it was accomplished with a team that lost 100 games. He threw a blazing fastball, and led the American League with 185 strikeouts....and 181 walks.

At the time, the reviews of the deal were mixed, with one writer panning the American League as a "seven team league" after the Yanks had taken Baltimore's best players. Others asked for patience, that Byrd and McDonald had potential and cited high expectations of Woodling and Triandos at bat. Some were already penciling in the Yanks as 1955 American League champions. Here's how things worked out: Triandos had the most staying power of those dealt to the Orioles, serving as their primary catcher for six seasons and making four All-Star games (two in 1958). In 1958 he smacked 30 home runs. 13.1 WAR as an Oriole Turley immediately became a rotation mainstay for the Yanks, winning 17 games with a 3.06 ERA in 1955 and was an All-Star. "Bullet Bob" later took home the MLB Cy Young award (only one award for both leagues then) in 1958. He had 9.3 WAR as a Yankee Larsen was a useful swingman in Pinstripes, and of course we all know of his perfect game in the 1956 World Series. 4.6 WAR as a Yankee. Hunter was the Yanks' primary shortstop in 1955 when Phil Rizzuto was moved into a part-time role as retirement neared. He was dealt to Kansas City in 1957. 1.1 WAR as a Yankee. Smith came with high expectations based on his minor league success. After a decent .271 rookie year, he was dealt to Kansas City during the 1956 season. .7 WAR as an Oriole After a slow start, Woodling was dealt to the Cleveland Indians during the 1955 season. (-.2) WAR as an Oriole. Miranda was Baltimore's primary shortstop from 1955-1958. He provided solid defense, but batted an anemic .219 with a 53 OPS+. (-.6) WAR as an Oriole. The Orioles had high hopes for Byrd and McDonald, but both were dealt away within a year - McDonald back to the Yankees - after underwhelming performances. (-.7) WAR as Orioles Leppert, Miller, and Segrist played very limited roles on the 1955 Orioles and never played in the MLB again. (-1.4) WAR as Orioles Fridley, Blyzka, and Kryhoski never suited up in the Pinstripes. Johnson played 26 games as a third-string catcher. Del Guercio never reached the majors (-.3) WAR as Yankees In summary: Total Baltimore production from trade: 10.9 WAR Highlights: Four All-Star appearances (Triandos). Total New York production from trade: 14.7 WAR Highlights: 124-76 W-L, 3.58 ERA, Turley's two All-Star games and 1958 Cy Young award. Combined 7-5, 2.96 in 88 World Series innings from Turley and Larsen with both taking home Series MVP's, and of course Larsen's 1956 gem. I think its' pretty obvious that the Yankees won this deal. What really stands out is that of the 17 players in the deal, only five (using WAR) made positive contributions to his new team. Could a trade of this magnitude happen today? What do you think?