Top Five worst trades in Pittsburgh Pirates history

Aug 12, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Fans begin to arrive as rain falls before the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Detroit Tigers in an interleague game at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pirates have a rich and storied history that many teams would kill for, but in that time they’ve also made plenty of terrible trades. These five are ones that stick out to me because they all represent very low points in franchise history. 2001 Pirates were a mess of a baseball team and exceptionally difficult to watch. 2002-2003 were the lowest of the low during the 20-year losing streak because the team was awful without a plan. The 1950s Pirates were just the worst time in the history of the organization. The 1980s were a down swing coming off one of the most successful decades in franchise history.

There were other factors that contributed to these bad periods of baseball, these deals to me show how bad trades can set a franchise back for a long, long time. Especially when the players involved not only don’t pan out, but are also monumental busts for your team. It’s one thing to trade for one bad player, but to trade for a series of awful players is really damaging. It’s the kind of thing that kills fan interest and gets general managers fired. I am sure there are other trades that I forgot to mention, but these are my top (or bottom) five worst trades in Pirates history.

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