Some of the Chicago Cubs best and worst moves at the trade deadline

Chicago Cubs find a treasure in Aramis Ramirez

In 2003 the Cubs were right in the middle of a pennant race and found themselves buyers at the trade deadline. They needed another power bat to complement Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou as well as a bat at the top of the lineup, due to Corey Patterson’s season-ending injury.

The deal for both Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton was just what the doctor ordered for the Cubs. They plugged in perfectly to the Cubs lineup and helped propel them to the playoffs.

Ramirez helped extend the Cubs lineup, batting mostly fifth in the lineup as he hit 15 home runs in the second half of the season. Lofton brought a veteran presence to the Cubs roster as he hit leadoff and started in center field for Patterson. He was a great table-setter as he hit .327 at the plate and got on base at a .381 clip.

Ultimately, the Cubs came up short in the playoffs and famously lost to the Florida Marlins in Game 7 of the NLCS. Lofton ended up walking away as a free agent at the end of the season but Ramirez’s tenure as a Cub was just getting started.

Ramirez turned into a bona-fide superstar at the hot-corner, something the Cubs had been severely lacking since the days of Ron Santo back in the 70s. Over the next nine seasons Ramirez became one of the team’s best hitters. Over that time he hit 239 home runs and drove in 806 runs while hitting .294 at the plate.

Looking back, this deal was a huge win for the Cubs. It gave the Cubs the boost they needed to win the division and get one game away from the World Series. They also found their long-term third baseman in Ramirez while giving up literally nothing.

As far as the Pittsburgh Pirates go, none of the pieces they acquired panned out. Bobby Hill had the most upside but he turned out to be a bust. Jose Hernandez was past his prime and was no longer an everyday player while Matt Bruback never even made it to the major leagues.