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

Chicago Cubs misjudged in dealing away Garland

In the midst of a playoff push in 1998, the Cubs thought they were a reliever away from putting them over the top. They decided to make a deal with the cross-town rival Chicago White Sox where they received reliever Matt Karchner and sent away starter Jon Garland.

It was simply not a good move made by the Cubs. They certainly needed a reliever but Karchner was not the answer. He had struggled early in year with the White Sox and his struggles continued on the North side.

Karchner appeared in 29 games for the Cubs but had a dismal 5.14 ERA. The Cubs would end up winning the wild card but were swept away in three games by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

Karchner ended up spending three seasons with the Cubs but he never really got it together. He pitched in just 58 games total to the tune of a 4.60 ERA before his career ended in 2000.

Meanwhile, Garland went on to reliable arm in the White Sox rotation for the next eight seasons. Garland became an All-Star in 2005 where he won 18 decisions and posted a 3.50 ERA. He played a significant role for the White Sox on their way to a World Series title in 2005.

Garland was never a spectacular starting pitcher by any stretch but he was a reliable arm to have out there every fifth day. I’m sure he could have helped the Cubs during their playoff run in 2003 if they had held onto him.