Detroit Tigers: Eyebrow-Raising Transactions #20-11

May 12, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; A detailed view of a baseball glove and bat before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

11. Cecil Fielder. He Should Have Retired a Tiger. 

Cecil Fielder continues to be a legend in Detroit Tigers lore. In the early 1990s, no one hit the ball harder than Big Daddy. During his tenure in Detroit he made it to three All-Star Games, finished in second place on the MVP ballot twice, and led the league in RBIs for three season in a row. But, in 1996, the Tigers traded him to the New York Yankees in exchange for Ruben Sierra and minor league pitcher Matt Drews. In 1996, the Yankees won the World Series, with the help of Fielder’s 16 hits in the postseason and his .918 OPS in the World Series. This is the man that the Tigers gave up.

Next: Questionable Player Transactions #10-1

The players that were added to the Tigers’ roster were certainly not an even trade for Fielder. Sierra was once a strong player who made several All-Star Game appearances and he appeared on several MVP ballots, too. He also led the league in several statistics, but in the late 80s. At the time of the trade, Sierra was hitting .258 and had 52 RBIs. He played in 46 games with the Tigers batting .222 and hitting one home run. Drews played for the Mud Hens with ERAs over 6.00 in all three seasons. Again, the Tigers lost this deal.