As the deadline approaches Thursday afternoon, trade scenarios are flying all over the place, as contenders seek to add what they deem the “missing piece.”
The final tally at 4 p.m. can’t possibly match all the fanciful possibilities discussed between front offices.
Here’s an ode to the deals that aren’t consummated, the star-laden, mind-blowing swaps that don’t go down. Some of the best would-be blockbusters from recent years:
Mariano Rivera to the Tigers
Before Rivera was a living legend, he was a rookie right-hander in 1995.
The Yankees, looking for rotation help, were interested in acquiring David Wells from the Tigers. The deal was close to being finalized, but Yankees GM Gene Michael decided to hold on to Rivera, noticing that his fastball velocity was increasing.
You know the rest: Rivera became the greatest closer in baseball history, and the Yankees ended up with Wells anyway, signing him as a free agent after the 1996 season.
David Wright to the Blue Jays
In July 2002, Wright was two years away from arriving in Flushing, toiling away for Single-A Capital City.
Steve Phillips, the Mets’ general manager at the time, offered Wright to the Blue Jays for outfielder Jose Cruz Jr.
Phillips says Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi — currently a special assistant to Sandy Alderson — responded by saying, “I’m not trading a major league player for some guy in the Sally League.”
Barry Bonds to the Braves
Before the 1992 season, the Pirates and Braves agreed on a deal that would ship Bonds — who was entering the last year of his contract — to Atlanta for pitcher Alejandro Pena, outfielder Keith Mitchell and a prospect to be named later.
One day later, the deal was called off. Pirates manager Jim Leyland vociferously objected to the trade, ranting to the team’s president, Carl Barger.
Bonds signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent, and the Pirates took 21 years to return to the postseason.
Albert Pujols to the Expos
In December 2000, the Cardinals traded third baseman Fernando Tatis and reliever Britt Reames to Montreal for relievers Dustin Hermanson and Steve Kline.
It was a seemingly minor transaction, but it was later revealed that the Cardinals were torn between trading Tatis or a young prospect named Albert Pujols.
Pujols made his major league debut the next season and won the Rookie of the Year Award, launching a historic 11-year run with the Redbirds.
Alex Rodriguez to the Red Sox
After the 2003 season, it was clear Alex Rodriguez and the Rangers — three years into a record-breaking 10-year, $252 million pact — needed to go separate ways.
A deal was arranged in which the Rangers would ship Rodriguez to the Red Sox for Manny Ramirez. In order to make the trade work, Rodriguez volunteered to take a pay cut, but the union refused to allow that. The deal would soon fall apart.
Looking to mend fences, the Rangers named Rodriguez captain before the 2004 season — and then, in mid-February, traded him to the Yankees.