Top 5 biggest Detroit Tigers trades in franchise history

The Detroit Tigers has an organization that is rich in history and one that has made plenty of memories through the years. Memorable moments and Hall of Famers have both played with and played against the Tigers. The Tigers as a franchise have changed recently with new president of baseball operations Scott Harris taking over the reins. This begs the question as to what moves were made through the history of the Tigers that go down as some of the biggest in team history.

We do not know the success of some of these Tigers teams if these trades do not get made as these players acquired made huge impacts on both the Tigers and the standings. While none of these moves brought a World Series championship to Detroit, there are memories that these players gave us that will live on forever. For instance, Miguel Cabrera is likely a player that we may never see again in Motown. His hitting was timely and effective and he was pure class while he was here. Not too many Miguel Cabreras come along that often. He was truly one of a kind and brought many smiles to many faces in Detroit.

Although most major trades that have gone through the Tigers franchise have gone well, one in particular still has Tigers fans thinking what management was thinking. The roster always has changed, as one may think no one roster is safe from October through April. With that said, Detroit has had some good, solid players come through and be quite productive.

However, what about the trades that were made that did not work out? The trades the Tigers made below, except for one, have all made Detroit better in the time those players were in a Tigers uniform. Not all trades bring success, but like the Tigers, some of these trades brought many seasons of success and awards that will never be forgotten. Below are the top five biggest trades in Detroit Tigers' history.

Miggy and D-train

Prior to the 2008 season, the Tigers acquired Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins in exchange for Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz, Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo, and Dallas Trahern. Cabrera, entering his 16th year in Detroit, has had quite the journey with the Detroit Tigers.

So far, he has 369 home runs, 1,324 runs batted in, a .306 batting average, 12 All-Star games, four batting titles, won MVP twice, and won seven Silver Slugger awards. He was the best pure hitter of the last 15 years, so smooth at the plate. He was also good against Hall of Fame pitchers as well, batting .364 against Greg Maddux. As he prepares to play his last MLB season, we cannot forget the day he became a Tiger.

Willis did not fare as well. His Tigers numbers were 2-8 and a 6.86 ERA. Cabrera will go down as one of the best pure hitters in MLB history. He made contact, hit home runs, and hit for average allen route to winning the Triple Crown, a rare feat in MLB history.

Todd Jones? Yep, Todd Jones

Dec. 10, 1996, saw the Detroit Tigers acquire Brian L. Hunter, Todd Jones, Doug Brocail, and Orlando Miller from the Houston Astros in exchange for Brad Ausmus, C.J. Nitkowski, Daryle Ward, Jose Lima, and Trevor Miller. Jones would be the piece that had the most success, but Ausmus would lead the Tigers as their manager sometime later.

Ausmus would have a record of 314-332 with a .486 winning percentage. Jones would end up as the Tiger's closer, often leaving fans gasping for air as Jones would rarely have a 1-2-3 inning. On October 30, 2008, he was granted free agency but never played the game again. Jones would finish his Tigers career as the all-time leader in saves with 235 for Tigers pitchers, cementing his role as the best Tigers closer. Tigers fans would see Lima again as he returned for another stint during the 201 and 2002 seasons.

Oh yeah, he was a Tiger...

On Aug.12, 1987, The Tigers made maybe the worst trade in thier history. Detroit traded John Smoltz to the Atlanta Braves for Doyle Alexander. Smoltz was nothing but a prospect at the time but he sure took off when he hit Atlanta.

He formed one of the more dominant pitching staffs with Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux as they were the best three pitchers in the 1990s. Smoltz would go on to be elected into the Hall of Fame, appear in eight All-Star games, win the 1992 NCLS MVP, and the 1996 Cy Young Award. Alexander finished his Tigers career with a 29-29 record, a 3.91 ERA, and five shutouts.

Cash Money

On Jan. 1, 1960, The Detroit Tigers made a trade that would change their infield. The Tigers acquiredNorm Cash from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Steve Demeter.

Cash would go on to a 15-year career in Detroit, becoming one of the best first basemen during that time. He was not an elite power hitter but would always put the ball in play and get people in scoring position. His career stats in Detroit include a .272 batting average, 373 home runs, 1,088 runs batted in, 1,793 hits, five All-Star games, and a 1961 batting title. Cash would also help the Detroit Tigers win the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 3 and finish with a 52.0 WAR.

His last game in the majors came on August 6, 1974, producing one hit in his only at-bat against the Cleveland Indians. He was a versatile player as well. While he played mostly first base, he also saw time at all three outfield positions as well as a designated hitter. He finished his career with a .992 fielding percentage, showing he can play the field as well as swing the lumber.