5-for-1 in Philly
In a trade that becomes the forever known as “5 for 1” in Philadelphia, the Phillies 42 years ago today send five players to Cleveland for a 24-year-old, budding star of an outfielder named Von Hayes.
To get Hayes, the Phillies give up an All-Star in popular second baseman Manny Trillo, right fielder George Vukovich, backup catcher Jerry Willard, back-of-the-bullpen reliever in Jay Baller and a 24-year-old minor league shortstop named Julio Franco, who can hit the ball exceptionally well but not field it especially well.
Trillo, closing in on his 32nd birthday at the time of the trade, is the biggest name for Cleveland in the deal, but the Indians keep him for less than a season. Shortly after Trillo represents them as a starter at the 1983 All-Star Game, the Indians flip him to Montreal for $300,000 and minor league outfielder Don Carter, who is out of affiliated ball by 1986.
Trillo eventually drifts from Montreal to San Francisco to Chicago and then from the Cubs to Cincinnati to finish out his career in 1989.
Williard enjoys two seasons as Cleveland’s part-time starting catcher before spending his splitting his final six seasons in the majors as a backup catcher for five different teams.
Vukovich gets a chance to play every day in Cleveland, posting three mostly unremarkable seasons there before leaving the majors in 1986 for two seasons in the Japanese Pacific League.
Baller, though, never gets a chance to play in Cleveland, instead spending two seasons in Class AAA before the Indians trade him to the Chicago Cubs for backup infielder Dan Rohn.
As for Franco, the gem of a hitter with little use for a glove, he enjoys six productive seasons in Cleveland’s offense, batting .297 over 1,088 games.
Franco’s defense, well, that is not so good during his five seasons as the Indians’ shortstop with the sixth as their second baseman.
Franco seems to allow as many runs with his glovework – or lack thereof – as he produces with his bat, committing an alarming 151 errors over six seasons with the Indians, who finally trade him to Texas after the 1988 season for outfielder Oddibe McDowell, first baseman Pete O’Brien and infielder Jerry Browne.
As for Hayes, he lasts nine seasons with the Phillies, batting .272 over 1,208 games before Philadelphia regifts him in December 1991 to the Anaheim Angels for pitcher Kyle Abbott and Ruben Amaro Jr.