San Francisco Giants: 15 greatest MLB trade deadline deals of all time
1. Kevin Mitchell develops into a feared slugger, NL MVP
Date: July 5, 1987
To Giants: 3B Kevin Mitchell, LHP Craig Lefferts, LHP Dave Dravecky
To Padres: LHP Mark Davis, RHP Mark Grant, 3B Chris Brown, LHP Keith Comstock
The Giants were two games back in the NL West standings when they pulled the trigger on this franchise-altering trade.
A then 25-year-old Kevin Mitchell had just been moved from the New York Mets to the San Diego Padres during the offseason. Despite some intriguing power potential, he was off to a slow start with the Friars. Through 62 games, he was hitting a modest .245/.313/.398 with seven home runs.
Things immediately clicked upon joining the Giants. He hit .306/.376/.430 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 69 games the rest of the way and helped the team capture a division title.
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Two years later, he was the NL MVP.
All told, he spent five seasons in San Francisco, posting a stellar 151 OPS+ with 143 home runs and 19.2 WAR.
Lefty reliever Craig Lefferts also proved to be a solid pickup for the Giants. He pitched to a 2.88 ERA with 35 saves and 25 holds in 178 appearances before re-signing with the Padres after the 1989 season.
On the other side of the deal, Mark Davis briefly emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, winning NL Cy Young honors in 1989 when he saved 44 games and posted a 1.85 ERA in 92.2 innings.
Still, the Giants were the clear winners in this trade. Mitchell emerged as one of the most feared sluggers in baseball after the trade and helped lead the team to an NL pennant in 1989.
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So there you have it, the 15 greatest MLB trade deadline deals in Giants history. Agree? Disagree? Let us know on Twitter or in the comment section below.