As we watch the Cubs trading away their stars and acquiring prospects in return, it occurs to me that I haven't seen them do this in nearly 40 years. They have been buyers for the past forty years, and it hasn't worked. (Like this stupid trade, which they made on this day in 1986.)
The last time they were sellers was the early 70s when they traded away some of their all-time greats like Williams, Santo, and Jenkins. They got a young 2B named Manny Trillo back for Williams, plus some bullpen help (Bob Locker & Darold Knowles). They got a future all-star catcher (Steve Swisher), and a reliable starting pitcher (Steve Stone) for Ron Santo. And they got a future batting champion and a replacement for Ron Santo (Bill Madlock) in return for Fergie Jenkins.
Not a bad haul if you consider that Williams and Santo each only played one more season. If Madlock had simply been paid instead of shipped off after asking more money, the Jenkins trade would have been a good one too (even though Fergie won another 100+ games in the American League).
Keep in mind that Theo and Jed don't have nearly as much to trade, and they still seem to be picking up some good prospects. I'm cautiously optimistic that they're on the right track.
