Major League Baseball’s clubs are not averse to taking part in the annual shopping frenzy that is Black Friday. as much of the country is out scouring for deals in stores and online, front-office executives throughout baseball are doing the same on the trade and free-agent markets.
It’s the time of year that teams look to fine-tune existing rosters for a championship push or work toward a complete overhaul in a rebuilding effort. But regardless of the motive, the Hot Stove season has seen its fair share of player movement around Thanksgiving.
Below is a closer look at some of the biggest transactions completed at the onset of the holiday shopping season.
Nov. 26,2021
mets make big splash,add three bats
The Mets went free-agent shopping on Black Friday,reaching deals with outfielders Starling marte and Mark Canha and infielder Eduardo Escobar for a combined $124.5 million in guaranteed money. All three veterans went on to contribute to a Mets club that won 101 games.Canha posted a.367 OBP, Marte combined 16 homers with 18 steals despite being limited to 118 games, and Escobar started slowly but reached the 20-homer mark with a strong second half (.825 OPS).
Nov. 27, 2015
Blue Jays land a lefty
In 2015, the Blue Jays inked free-agent left-hander J.A. Happ as one of the first major signings of the offseason. Toronto’s holiday purchase proved to be a success as Happ enjoyed a career year, going 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA across 32 starts in the regular season. Happ also pitched well in the postseason as the Jays advanced to the American League Championship Series, which they lost to World Series runner-up Cleveland.
Nov. 28,2014
Toronto gets its star
A rebuilding A’s team traded away one of its promising young stars on Black Friday in 2014,shipping third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie,Franklin Barreto,Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin. In his first season with Toronto, Donaldson won the AL Most Valuable player Award, leading the Majors in runs (122) and RBIs (123). He helped the club reach the postseason in consecutive seasons (2015-16), something the franchise hadn’t done since 1992-93.
Nov. 26, 2010
V-Mart rolls into Motor City
The Tigers scored one of the top bats on the market in 2010, signing Victor Martinez to a four-year deal in the middle of an aggressive offseason for Detroit. With the exception of a lost ’12 season due to an offseason ACL tear in his left knee, martinez was a steady source of production in the Tigers’ lineup for seven seasons (.290, 115 HR, 540 RBIs) until his retirement after the 2018 season.
Notable Trades and Signings on Black Friday in MLB History
Black Friday is widely known as a major shopping day, but it has also become a significant date for transactions in Major League Baseball. Here’s a look at some of the most impactful deals and signings that have occurred on or around the day after Thanksgiving:
Nov. 18, 2005
A blockbuster trade reshapes two franchises
One of the most memorable Black Friday trades took place on November 18, 2005, involving the Boston Red Sox and the Florida Marlins. The Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell, while the Marlins received outfielder Hanley Ramirez, pitcher Aníbal Sánchez, and a player to be named later (which became outfielder Brent Lillibridge). https://www.mlb.com/news/hanley-ramirez-josh-beckett-trade-retrospective
both sides ultimately proved prosperous. The Marlins received financial relief and a franchise player in Ramirez, who went on to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2006. He earned three consecutive All-Star selections from 2008-2010 and was the National League’s batting champion in 2009. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirha01.shtml The Red Sox, meanwhile, gained two key pieces for thier 2007 World Series championship run. Beckett won 20 games with a 3.27 ERA in 2007,and Lowell posted career highs with a .324 batting average, 191 hits, a .378 on-base percentage, and 120 RBIs. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beckej01.shtml https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lowelmi01.shtml
Nov. 28,2003
Red Sox acquire an ace
Perhaps the most notable Black Friday deal involved the Boston Red Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks. On November 28, 2003, the Red Sox, led by General Manager Theo Epstein, finalized a trade for veteran pitcher Curt Schilling. In exchange, Arizona received Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge De La Rosa, and Mike Goss. https://www.mlb.com/news/curt-schilling-trade-anniversary
The deal wasn’t complete until Epstein personally convinced Schilling to waive his no-trade clause during a Thanksgiving dinner at Schilling’s home. Epstein famously stated,”If we didn’t sign Curt,it probably woudl have been the worst Thanksgiving of my life.” https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2023/11/28/curt-schilling-trade-red-sox-2003/
Schilling played a crucial role in ending the Red Sox’s 86-year World Series drought, contributing considerably to their championships in 2004 (with his iconic “bloody sock” performance) and 2007. https://www.mlb.com/news/curt-schilling-bloody-sock-story
Nov. 24, 1989
Rangers upgrade their defense
The Texas Rangers bolstered their defense on November 24, 1989, by signing center fielder Gary Pettis. Pettis, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner, provided Texas with a standout defensive presence in center field for two seasons (1990-1991). [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pettiga01.shtml](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pettiga
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