Chicago Cubs: Looking back at impact offseason trades

March 30, 1992: The Cubs got Sammy Sosa from the Chicago White Sox for George Bell.

The Cubs were rebuilding in 1992. So just before the season began, new GM Larry Himes sent aging slugger George Bell across town to his former team, the White Sox, for a prospect Himes had long seen talent in but had seen little results from.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

Early returns appeared heavily in the White Sox favor: Bell drove in 112 runs for the Sox in 1992, while the player who came to the Cubs, Sammy Sosa, struggled to put all of his amazing tools together.

Sosa spent his first year with the Cubs moving from the bench on the big league club to Triple-A and back.

That was just a temporary condition.

By 1994, George Bell had retired and Sammy Sosa had 30/30 year under his belt (more than 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases) and was on his way to becoming the league’s premier power hitter.

While Sosa’s legacy is controversial due to suspected PED use and an acrimonious departure from the Cubs organization, it is a legacy marked by some amazing on-field accomplishments and many winning Cubs’ seasons.

Next: A lovable kid, a fearless slugger