The Best Trade Ever?
Reds fans were shocked when the team traded rising-star outfielder Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers for an “unknown” pitcher - Edinson Volquez. “What are they thinking?” we all asked. The fact that the offense-heavy Reds needing pitching help wasn’t debated. We just wondered why we’d trade one of our best offensive players from 2007 for a virtual nobody.
The Fall and Rise of Hamilton
Hamilton’s story is becoming more and more well-known. He was a highly touted top draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 1999. However, the fame and fast paced life of a professional athlete got the best of him. He fell into struggles with drugs and alcohol. Between the years of 2002-2005, Hamilton was suspended by Major League Baseball for violating the substance abuse policy. He made several trips to rehab and attempted suicide three times [1]. It was also during this time that he found Christ - the strength to lead him away from his life of sin [2].
By 2007, Hamilton had made his way back to the Major Leagues, making the Cincinnati Reds’ roster out of spring training. He surprised everyone with a solid season (.292 BA, 19 HR, 47 RBI), while playing only 90 games due to injuries.
This season, Hamilton is shocking the world. He is currently near the top of each Triple Crown category in the American League - .327 BA, 12 HR, 53 RBI in just 52 games. I think it’s safe to say he’s returned to the form that made him a top draft pick in 1999.
Young Pitcher to Cy Young?
Edinson Volquez’s rise to semi-fame hasn’t been quite as dramatic as Josh Hamilton, but just as interesting. Volquez needed a bit of “humble pie” to turn his baseball career around.
A star in the Texas Rangers farm system, Volquez was eventually promoted to the Major Leagues. During two brief stints with the Rangers is 2005 and 2006, the Rangers were terribly unsatisfied with Volquez’s performance, both on the field and off. To bring Volquez to maturity - as a person and player - the Rangers demoted him to Single-A. They gave him rules to follow - including cutting his hair, who he could talk to and several other seemingly strict rules [1].
Not only has Volquez done what’s been asked of him, but he has excelled at every level along the way. Following the Hamilton trade, Volquez amazed the Reds organization in spring training - enough to make the Opening Day roster, with a spot in the starting rotation.
Volquez has been nothing short of amazing so far this season. He is currently 7-2 with a National League-best ERA of 1.31. With Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo struggling on the mound, Volquez has emerged as the ace of the Reds staff after the first quarter of the season.
The Best Trade Ever?
With the success of both Hamilton and Volquez on their new teams, we have to ask if this is one of the best trades in baseball history? Rarely have we seen a trade work out to this degree of success for both clubs. Hamilton has plugged an offensive hole in the Rangers’ lineup and Volquez is sustaining what could be a solid starting rotation for the Reds if the rest of the staff can get hot.
