The MLB trade deadline is set for Tuesday at 3 p.m. PT, and that means front offices from around the league will be searching for the missing pieces to get their team to the next step in their franchise's goals. A great trade can set a team up for a World Series push, while a bad one can set a franchise back for years.

With that said, here is a look at the five most lopsided trades in MLB history.

5. St. Louis grabs Arenado for cheap (2021)

St. Louis Cardinals acquire Nolan Arenado, $51 million

Colorado Rockies acquire Austin Gomber, Eleheuris Montero, Mateo Gil, Tony Locey, Jake Sommers

Before the 2021 MLB season, the relationship between Nolan Arenado and then Colorado Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich looked to be strained. Arenado had a potential out on his contract after the 2021 season, and the Rockies were looking to get something in return for the game's premier defensive third baseman.

It was assumed that the Rockies could get a great return for such a phenomenal player, but Rockies fans' hearts were broken when the slugger was traded for an underwhelming package that was gawked at by the masses. Arenado was coming off of eight consecutive gold glove seasons, yet he was traded for mid-tier prospects.

In his three seasons with St. Louis thus far, Arenado has been an All-Star every season, hit 84 home runs, and collected two more Gold Glove awards. He also finished third in the 2022 NL MVP voting. Austin Gomber was the biggest return for Colorado in the trade and the only player who has seen consistent action in the big leagues for Colorado. Yet he has a win percentage below .500 for the Rockies, and his ERA the last two seasons has pushed closer to 6.0.

On the other hand, Eleheuris Montero has been in and out of the minor leagues, while Mateo Gil and Tony Locey are no longer in the Rockies farm system. To make matters worse, Colorado had to give the Cardinals over $50 million in salary relief to make the deal work.

4. White Sox lose Fernando Tatis Jr. (2016)

San Diego Padres acquire Fernando Tatis Jr., Erik Johnson

Chicago White Sox acquire James Shields

Fernando Tatis Jr. is arguably the best player in baseball right now. While he has had some off-the-field setbacks in recent seasons, Tatis Jr. has displayed what makes him an all-time trade acquisition for the San Diego Padres.

In 2016 the White Sox wanted to get immediate starting pitcher help. They traded the 17-year-old Tatis Jr. for an already past-his-prime James Shields. The Padres already wanted to get off of Shields' hefty contract, so the fact that they were able to get a player destined for stardom was much more than just icing on the cake.

In four years of MLB action, Tatis Jr. has two top-five MVP finishes, an All-Star appearance, and two silver-slugger trophies. As one of the best speed/power combination players in the game, Tatis Jr. seems like a lock to be one of the biggest faces in the MLB for years to come. Meanwhile, Shields played the remainder of the 2016 season and only two more seasons in the MLB (both with Chicago) before retiring.

Shields was only 2-7 before the Padres traded him, and he went 5-7 and 7-16 in his final two seasons.

3. The Babe becomes a Yankee (1920)

New York Yankees acquire Babe Ruth

Boston Red Sox acquire $100,000

Many people consider Babe Ruth to be the greatest of all time, but in 1920 it didn't even take a player return for the New York Yankees to pluck the Great Bambino out of the Boston Red Sox's hand.

While $100,000 was a lot of money in the early 20th century, that doesn't change the fact that the Yankees pulled off one of the biggest trade fleeces of all time. Ruth was already an established pitcher with the Red Sox, and in his final season in Boston, he had cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with as an offensive player as well. The Sultan of Swat went on to play 15 seasons in New York, winning four World Series along the way.

2. The Cardinals trade for McGwire (1997)

St. Louis Cardinals acquire Mark McGwire

Oakland Athletics acquire Eric Ludwick, Blake Stein, T.J. Mathews

The Cardinals once again find themselves on the right side of trade history. In 1997, St. Louis made perhaps the biggest deadline deal of all time. The season before the trade, McGwire had smashed a league-leading 52 homers. Even with proven and dominant production for over a decade, the Cardinals were able to snag McGwire for a measly trade package.

Eric Ludwick only had five starts in Oakland. Blake Stein didn't play well for the A's and was traded during his second season with the team. And while T.J. Mathews lasted the longest in Oakland, he only had one season with a sub-four ERA as a reliever for the team.

While McGwire's legacy has been tainted due to his admission of using performance-enhancing drugs, this trade still goes down as one of the most lopsided ever because of the crazy numbers that McGwire put up as a Cardinal. In St. Louis, McGwire had 220 home runs and 473 RBI and displayed some of the most incredible power that the game has ever seen.

Sammy Sosa crosses town (1992)

Chicago Cubs acquire Sammy Sosa, Ken Patterson

Chicago White Sox acquire George Bell

Sammy Sosa was still a youngster when the White Sox traded him to their rival to the north, and this trade is another example of a team trading a prospect for an older player and it coming back to haunt them. George Bell was a former MVP, but he was 32 by the time the White Sox got a hold of him. Bell only played two seasons for the White Sox before retiring.

On the other hand, Sosa went on to have a historic career. Another player whose career is looked at differently because of PEDs, Sosa still mashed for 545 home runs and 1,414 RBI in a Cubs uniform. In his 13 years with Chicago, Sosa had nine seasons finishing in the top 20 of MVP voting, including winning the NL MVP in 1998.