I decided to look at some famous and not as famous trades where star players and future star players were traded. I tried to avoid most recent trades as it’s too early to tell as to which team won the trade. I’m using WAR to analyze these trades and counting the WAR received by the team for the players that they acquired. I am not however counting any WAR accumulated by these players if they hit free agency and re-signed with their team. For example, in the first trade that I’m analyzing, Alex Rodriguez was traded by Texas to New York, but opted out of his contract after the 2007 season. I’m not counting the WAR that he accumulated after re-signing with New York.

1. FEBRUARY 16, 2004: NEW YORK YANKEES TRADED ALFONSO SORIANO & JOAQUN ARIAS TO THE TEXAS RANGERS FOR ALEX RODRIGUEZ & CASH

New York Yankees WAR: 30.9

Texas Rangers WAR: 3.6

2. JULY 7, 2008: CLEVELAND INDIANS TRADED CC SABATHIA TO THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS FOR ROB BRYSON, ZACH JACKSON, MATT LAPORTA & MICHAEL BRANTLEY

Cleveland Indians WAR: 21.1

Milwaukee Brewers WAR: 4.9

3. JULY 25, 2016: NEW YORK YANKEES TRADED AROLDIS CHAPMAN TO THE CHICAGO CUBS FOR ADAM WARREN, BILLY MCKINNEY, GLEYBER TORRES & RASHAD CRAWFORD ON 07/25/2016

New York Yankees WAR: 4.6 (so far)

Chicago Cubs WAR: 1.2

4. DECEMBER 11, 2012: CINCINNATI REDS TRADED DREW STUBBS TO THE CLEVELAND INDIANS & DIDI GREGORIUS TO THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS; CLEVELAND INDIANS TRADED LARS ANDERSON & TONY SIPP TO THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS & JASON DONALD, SHIN-SOO CHOO & CASH TO THE CINCINNATI REDS; ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS TRADED TREVOR BAUER, BRYAN SHAW & MATT ALBERS TO THE CLEVELAND INDIANS

Cleveland Indians WAR: 21.8 (so far)

Cincinnati Reds WAR: 4.4

Arizona Diamondbacks WAR: 2.1

5. DECEMBER 5, 2014: NEW YORK YANKEES TRADED SHANE GREENE TO THE DETROIT TIGERS; DETROIT TIGERS TRADED ROBBIE RAY & DOMINGO LEYBA TO THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS; ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS TRADED DIDI GREGORIUS TO THE NEW YORK YANKEES

New York Yankees WAR: 13.2 (so far)

Arizona Diamondbacks WAR: 8.0 (so far)

Detroit Tigers WAR: -0.4 (so far)

6. DECEMBER 9, 2015: ATLANTA BRAVES TRADED SHELBY MILLER & GABE SPEIER TO THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS FOR DANSBY SWANSON, ENDER INCIARTE & AARON BLAIR

Atlanta Braves WAR: 11.1

Arizona Diamondbacks WAR: -0.8

7. DECEMBER 11, 2017: MIAMI MARLINS TRADED GIANCARLO STANTON TO THE NEW YORK YANKEES FOR STARLIN CASTRO, JOSE DEVERS & JORGE GUZMAN

New York Yankees WAR: 4.0 (so far)

Miami Marlins WAR: 3.3

8. DECEMBER 4, 2007: FLORIDA MARLINS TRADED MIGUEL CABRERA & DONTRELLE WILLIS TO THE DETROIT TIGERS FOR BURKE BADENHOP, DALLAS TRAHERN, ANDREW MILLER, MIKE RABELO, FRANKIE DE LA CRUZ & CAMERON MAYBIN

Detroit Tigers WAR: 49.6 (so far)

Miami Marlins WAR: 0.3

9. FEBRUARY 2, 2008: MINNESOTA TWINS TRADED JOHAN SANTANA TO THE NEW YORK METS FOR PHILIP HUMBER, KEVIN MULVEY, DEOLIS GUERRA

New York Mets WAR: 15.2

Minnesota Twins WAR: 2.3

10. DECEMBER 16, 2004: OAKLAND ATHLETICS TRADED TIM HUDSON TO THE ATLANTA BRAVES FOR DAN MEYER, JUAN CRUZ & CHARLES THOMAS

Atlanta Braves WAR: 24.2

Oakland Athletics WAR: -3.0

11. DECEMBER 13, 1999: FLORIDA MARLINS TRADED JOHAN SANTANA TO THE MINNESOTA TWINS FOR JARED CAMP

Minnesota Twins WAR: 35.8

Miami Marlins WAR: 0.0

12. DECEMBER 18, 2004: OAKLAND ATHLETICS TRADED MARK MULDER TO THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS FOR DARIC BARTON & KIKO CALERO

Oakland Athletics WAR: 22.3

St. Louis Cardinals WAR: 0.0

13. DECEMBER 19, 2010: KANSAS CITY ROYALS TRADED ZACK GREINKE & YUNIESKI BETANCOURT TO THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS FOR JAKE ODORIZZI, JEREMY JEFFRESS, ALCIDES ESCOBAR & LORENZO CAIN

Kansas City Royals WAR: 34.8

Milwaukee Brewers WAR: 3.5

14. DECEMBER 9, 2012: TAMPA BAY RAYS TRADED WADE DAVIS, ELLIOTT JOHNSON & JAMES SHIELDS TO THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS FOR MIKE MONTGOMERY, WIL MYERS & PATRICK LEONARD

Kansas City Royals WAR: 15.6

Tampa Bay Rays WAR: 1.2

15. DECEMBER 8, 2011: CHICAGO CUBS TRADED DJ LEMAHIEU & TYLER COLVIN TO THE COLORADO ROCKIES FOR IAN STEWART & CASEY WEATHERS

Colorado Rockies WAR: 18.6

Chicago Cubs WAR: 0.0

16. DECEMBER 6, 2010: BOSTON RED SOX TRADED ANTHONY RIZZO, CASEY KELLY, REY FUENTES & ERIC PATTERSON TO THE SAN DIEGO PADRES FOR ADRIAN GONZALEZ

Boston Red Sox WAR: 9.9

San Diego Padres WAR: -2.1

17. JULY 8, 2008: CHICAGO CUBS TRADED JOSH DONALDSON, SEAN GALLAGHER & MATT MURTON TO THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS FOR RICH HARDEN & CHAD GAUDIN

Oakland Athletics WAR: 14.5

Chicago Cubs WAR: 4.7

18. JULY 31, 2004: BOSTON RED SOX TRADED MATT MURTON & NOMAR GARCIAPARRA TO THE CHICAGO CUBS; MINNESOTA TWINS TRADED DOUG MIENTKIEWICZ TO THE BOSTON RED SOX; MONTREAL EXPOS TRADED ORLANDO CABRERA TO THE BOSTON RED SOX; CHICAGO CUBS TRADED BRENDAN HARRIS, ALEX GONZALEZ & FRANCIS BELTRAN TO THE MONTREAL EXPOS; CHICAGO CUBS TRADED JUSTIN JONES TO THE MINNESOTA TWINS

Chicago Cubs WAR: 5.3

Boston Red Sox WAR: 1.5

Minnesota Twins WAR: 0.0

Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals WAR: -1.4

19. JULY 31, 2007: TEXAS RANGERS TRADED MARK TEIXEIRA & RON MAHAY TO THE ATLANTA BRAVES FOR MATT HARRISON, JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA, BEAU JONES, ELVIS ANDRUS & NEFTALI FELIZ

Texas Rangers WAR: 48.2

Atlanta Braves WAR: 6.9

20. JULY 29, 2008: ATLANTA BRAVES TRADED MARK TEIXEIRA TO THE LIS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM FOR CASEY KOTCHMAN & STEPHEN MAREK

Los Angeles Angels WAR: 3.7

Atlanta Braves WAR: 0.7

21. NOVEMBER 24, 2005: FLORIDA MARLINS TRADED JOSH BECKETT, MIKE LOWELL & GUILLERMO MOTA TO THE BOSTON RED SOX FOR ANIBAL SANCHEZ, HARVEY GARCIA, JESUS DELGADO & HANLEY RAMIREZ

Miami Marlins WAR: 41.1

Boston Red Sox WAR: 30.5

22. AUGUST 25, 2012: BOSTON RED SOX TRADED JOSH BECKETT, NICK PUNTO, ADRIAN GONZALEZ, CARL CRAWFORD & CASH TO THE BOSTON RED SOX FOR ALLEN WEBSTER, JERRY SANDS, IVAN DE JESUS, RUBBY DE LA ROSA & JAMES LONEY

Los Angeles Dodgers WAR: 20.9

Boston Red Sox WAR: -1.6

23. JANUARY 6, 2012: CHICAGO CUBS TRADED ANDREW CASHNER & KYUNG-MIN NA TO THE SAN DIEGO PADRES FOR ANTHONY RIZZO & ZACH CATES

Chicago Cubs WAR: 28.4 (so far)

San Diego Padres WAR: 3.4

24. NOVEMBER 7, 2014: ATLANTA BRAVES TRADED JORDAN WALDEN & JASON HEYWARD TO THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS FOR SHELBY MILLER & TYRELL JENKINS

St. Louis Cardinals WAR: 7.2

Atlanta Braves WAR: 3.7

25. JULY 31, 2014: BOSTON RED SOX TRADED JON LESTER & JONNY GOMES TO THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS FOR YOENIS CESPEDES & A 2015 COMPETITIVE BALANCE ROUND B PICK

Oakland Athletics WAR: 1.4

Boston Red Sox WAR: 1.3

26. DECEMBER 16, 2009: TORONTO BLUE JAYS TRADED ROY HALLADAY & CASH TO THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES FOR TRAVIS D’ARNAUD, KYLE DRABEK & MICHAEL TAYLOR

Philadelphia Phillies WAR: 17.1

Toronto Blue Jays WAR: -0.1

27. DECEMBER 17, 2012: TORONTO BLUE JAYS TRADED NOAH SYNDERGAARD, TRAVIS D’ARNAUD, JOHN BUCK & WUILMER BECERRA TO THE NEW YORK METS FOR R.A. DICKEY, MIKE NICKEAS & JOSH THOLE

New York Mets WAR: 14.4 (so far)

Toronto Blue Jays WAR: 4.9

What do you think? Let me know in the comments!