NBA fans were stunned this weekend when the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the biggest trades in sports history: Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. It’s a rare swap of two top-15 players in their prime.
“We really wanted to get ahead of what could’ve been a messy summer,” Mavericks GM Rico Harrison explained, pointing to Doncic’s upcoming supermax eligibility and potential opt-out clause.
This kind of star-for-star trade almost never happens in baseball anymore. Sure, big names like Mookie Betts and Juan Soto have been dealt recently, but they were traded for prospects – not other superstars. You’d probably have to go back to A-Rod for Soriano to find baseball’s last true blockbuster swap of stars.
So what would some MLB equivalents look like today? Let’s dream up some wild trades that would shock the baseball world.
Skenes for Henderson: Young Stars Collide
Imagine the Pirates’ Paul Skenes, baseball’s best pitching prospect, heading to Baltimore for Gunnar Henderson, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year. Both ranked in the top 3 of FanGraphs’ trade value rankings last summer.
It actually makes some sense. The Orioles desperately need an ace, and they could slide Jackson Holliday to short to replace Henderson. The Pirates would get their desperately needed middle-of-the-order bat.
But let’s be real – neither team would do it. Teams are too attached to their young stars.
Correa for Kirby: The Veteran for the Rising Star
The Twins have gotten calls about Carlos Correa this winter. While nothing’s serious, what if they sent him to Seattle for George Kirby?
The Mariners need offense badly, and Correa could slot in at third base. Minnesota would get a young ace under team control.
But Seattle wouldn’t take on Correa’s $128 million contract while giving up Kirby. That’s not how baseball trades usually work.
The Dream: Trout to Philly
Here’s one to really get people talking: Mike Trout to the Phillies for pitching phenom Andrew Painter.
We know Trout, a South Jersey native, would love to play in Philly. Imagine him hitting between Schwarber and Harper in that lineup.
The Angels could save face by landing baseball’s top pitching prospect while shedding Trout’s massive contract.
But the Phillies wouldn’t give up Painter and take on $212.7 million for an aging star who’s struggled to stay healthy lately, no matter how great Trout still is when he plays.
Baseball just doesn’t do blockbuster star-for-star trades anymore. But hey, after seeing Doncic-for-Davis, maybe anything’s possible.
