The New York Yankees shocked the MLB world when they traded with the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto on Dec. 6, 2023. By bringing one of the biggest stars in baseball to the biggest market in baseball, the Soto trade definitely goes down as one of the biggest trades over the last decade.
It also comes after an equally as big trade that landed Soto on the Padres in the first place just over a year ago. That deal took place during the season, though, at the MLB trade deadline. In this piece, we are going to look back at the 10 biggest MLB trades over the last 10 years that happened during the offseason.
10. Francisco Lindor moved to New York Mets
Trade details: New York Mets receive Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians for Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Josh Wolf, and Isaiah Greene
Date: Jan. 7, 2021
Although he is still relatively young (30), Francisco Lindor hasn't been as productive with the Mets as he was in Cleveland. Regardless, he is still a high-level shortstop with a premier glove at the most important spot on the defense. All four of Lindor's All-Star appearances and both of his Gold Glove-winning seasons came with the Indians.
However, Lindor has a lot of time to make a massive impact in New York. He is under contract until 2031, and he has already taken a leap as a batter. He won his third Silver Slugger Award in 2023, but it was his first since 2018. Carlos Carrasco hasn't been great, but he is another usable arm for the Mets as well.
For the Guardians, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene have been non-factors, but both Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez have been good players for them. The middle infield duo looked like they would lock down the middle of the Guardians' infield for years to come. However, the team has already moved on from Rosario, meaning Giménez is likely the only player who will make a long-term impact for the team. The second baseman is a Gold Glove and All-Star caliber player, though.
9. Prince Fielder dealt to Texas Rangers
Trade details: Texas Rangers receive Prince Fielder from the Detroit Tigers for Ian Kinsler
Date: Nov. 20, 2013
At this point in his career, Prince Fielder was not only one of the most recognizable stars in baseball but also one of the best players in the MLB. Additionally, he had remained a reliable player and never seemed to miss much time. In fact, he only missed one game total in the previous five seasons.
The Rangers were expecting to get one of the best on-base percentage power hitters in the league. While they did get one solid season out of Fielder, they mainly got a player who was a shell of himself and struggled with injuries. Neck injuries forced an early retirement for Fielder, and he only played in 289 games for the Rangers.
The Tigers got the better end of the deal, as Kinsler was a solid player for the team, and he even was selected to an All-Star game with Detroit. However, his stay was somewhat short-lived, as he was traded after four years with the team.
8. Blake Snell traded to San Diego Padres
Trade details: San Diego Padres receive Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays for Luis Patino, Cole Wilcox, Blake Hunt, Francisco Mejía
Date: Dec. 27, 2020
Blake Snell was a former Cy Young winner who had just helped the Rays to a World Series appearance. That made his trade in the immediate offseason very surprising. It also landed the Padres with a streaky but dominant strikeout pitcher and paved the way for the team to make a number of big moves over the next couple of seasons.
Snell entered free agency this offseason and seems destined to leave San Diego, but his run with the Padres was entertaining as the team attempted to build a super team. He won the Cy Young for the second time this last season.
The Rays have been good since this trade, but not because of it. Three of the players they received are no longer with the team, and the fourth (Wilcox) has been a disappointment in the minor leagues. On top of this, the Padres managed to land Yu Darvish in another MLB offseason trade only one day later.
7. Dansby Swanson, Shelby Miller swap places
Trade details: The Atlanta Braves receive Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Shelby Miller
Date: Dec. 9, 2015
Dansby Swanson's trade to the Braves was unprecedented in the MLB. The shortstop was the number one overall pick in the draft only a few months prior, but the Diamondbacks wanted security. They opted to trade for Shelby Miller, a pitcher who was already an All-Star and just 24 years old.
The Diamondbacks' philosophy was that they were going to get a star starter on a friendly deal who could stick in town for a long time. Miller left the team after the 2018 season, though, and he never did make another All-Star Game.
Swanson didn't live up to expectations in his first few seasons with the Braves, but he was always a solid player. He has recently turned a corner, though, but unfortunately, he is now a member of the Chicago Cubs.
6. Chris Sale moved to Boston Red Sox
Trade details: The Boston Red Sox receive Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox for Michael Kopech, Yoán Moncada, Victor Diaz, and Luis Alexander Basabe
Date: Dec. 6, 2016
The Chris Sale trade from Chicago to the Red Sox kicked off one of the biggest rebuilds in recent memory. The White Sox landed a number of elite prospects during this time, two of which (Yoán Moncada and Michael Kopech) came from this trade. The White Sox seemed destined to have one of the best young cores in the MLB for years to come.
Moncada and Kopech have been solid players for them, but neither have lived up to their prospect status, and both come with serious player flaws. Last season, the White Sox finally gave up on the rebuild that was thrown into overdrive during the Chris Sale trade, and now they are starting a new rebuild.
Chris Sale was a big reason the Red Sox won the World Series in 2018. That alone makes this trade worth it for Boston. Besides that, though, Sale has been a major disappointment for the Red Sox. Injuries have made him unavailable for a good chunk of his stint in Boston.
5. Juan Soto traded to New York Yankees
Trade details: Dec. 6, 2023
Date: The New York Yankees receive Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres for Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, Kyle Higashioka, and Drew Thorpe
The trade that inspired this list. Juan Soto's trade to the Yankees is certainly one of the biggest trades of all time. Soto is a prime example of the modern era of baseball, where star players seem to get moved more often than in any era in the past. Soto was traded not long ago, at the 2022 trade deadline, from the Washington Nationals to the Padres, and now he is on the move again.
The Padres had a massive pay role and still missed the playoff last year, so they decided to move on from a player who was going to be tough to retain when he hit the open market. The Padres probably gave up a better package to the Nationals than what they got back from the Yankees, but the team still got a boatload of players, some that can help now and some that can help in the future.
Meanwhile, Soto gives the Yankees one of the scariest lineups we have ever seen. We said that about the Padres last season, though, and neither the Padres nor the Yankees made the postseason.
4. Christian Yelich moves to Milwaukee Brewers
Trade details: the Milwaukee Brewers receive Christian Yelich from the Miami Marlins for Lewis Brinson, Jordan Yamamoto, and Monte Harrison
Date: Jan. 25, 2018
Trading for a superstar is always a gamble. Sometimes, the player excels even more in a new home, and sometimes, their production falls off of a cliff after a trade. The Milwaukee Brewers have seen both sides of this after their trade for Christian Yelich. The outfielder went to both of his All-Star Games as a Brewer, and he even won the NL MVP with the team. Yelich's statistics have plummeted in the seasons since, though.
The good news for the Brewers is not only did they get two elite seasons out of Yelich (and the potential for a bounce-back year this season), but none of the players they traded away panned out. In fact, none of the players they traded are even in Miami's system anymore. Despite an unexpected decline by Yelich, he was still one of the best players in baseball while donning the Brewers uniform, which means they definitely won this trade.
3. Nolan Arenado traded to St. Louis Cardinals
Trade details: St. Louis Cardinals receive Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies for Elehuris Montero, Austin Gomber, Tony Locey, Mateo Gil, and Jake Sommers
Date: Feb. 1, 2021
Nolan Arenado's trade from the Colorado Rockies to the St. Louis Cardinals was shocking. Not only did the Rockies get very little in return, but they had to give up $50 million just to facilitate the deal. Arenado won 10 straight Gold Gloves until this past season, and he actually wanted to be a member of the Rockies.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Colorado fans, and Arenado's elite defense and incredible hitting has definitely translated in St. Louis. The Arenado deal was one of the biggest MLB trades ever. It was also one of the best (or worst depending on how you look at it) offseason MLB trades in recent memory.
2. Mookie Betts traded to Los Angeles Dodgers
Trade details: Red Sox trade Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers for Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong, and Jeter Downs. The Twins trade Brudsar Graterol and a draft pick for Kenta Maeda.
Date: Feb. 10, 2020
The Red Sox traded Mookie Betts in 2020 when they were trying to cut costs as they seemed unlikely to contend. Betts immediately helped the Dodgers win a World Series, and he has been one of the best players in the league since joining the Dodgers. This season, he will try his hand at being a full-time second baseman.
Alex Verdugo was the best player the Red Sox got back, but they just traded him to the Yankees not long before New York traded for Juan Soto.
1. Giancarlo Stanton heads to the Big Apple
Trade details: New York Yankees receive Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins for Starlin Castro, Jose Devers, and Jorge Guzman
Date: Dec. 11, 2017
The Miami Marlins had a nice core with Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and, most notably, Giancarlo Stanton. Miami handed Stanton the first ever contract exceeding $300 million after he hit 59 homers during an MVP season. That figure was going to be too steep to hold onto after Miami changed ownership, though, so the Marlins decided to trade their megastar.
The top destination for any pricey superstar is always going to be the New York Yankees, and the team brought him in to form a fearsome power duo that included Aaron Judge. Stanton still hits bombs for the Yankees, but the rest of his game isn't near what it was during his heyday.
For as great of a trade chip as Stanton was, the Marlins got almost nothing in return for him. Castro's best days were behind him by the time he got to Miami, and Devers and Guzman didn't produce at the major league level. The Marlins even had to kick in $30 million to get off of Stanton's contract. Stanton's trade will forever go down as one of the biggest trades during an MLB offseason.
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