Major League teams make good trades and bad trades. Fans love the good and hate the bad. This first of a two-part series examines the three worst trades in Kansas City Royals history. Part Two will discuss the club’s three best trades.

Few things in baseball evoke as much thought, scrutiny, discussion, argument, and visceral reaction than trades. As deals the Kansas City Royals have made demonstrate, some trades are good, some bad, and some turn out to have no real impact. No one knows immediately how a trade will turn out: healthy players may suffer injuries, hot players may slump, others may simply fail after being traded and trade “throw-ins” may suddenly catch fire and become stars.

The Kansas City Royals have completed hundreds of trades since acquiring Buck Martinez, Mickey Sinnerud and Tommy Smith from Houston in exchange for John Jones in 1968. (KC acquired four players before that trade, including former Kansas City Athletics pitchers Orlando Pena and Dave Wickersham; because those deals were purchases involving no other players, the Martinez deal was the Royals’ first true player trade).

Martinez became a solid catcher, making the deal good for the Royals. Other trades have been better, others worse. Here, in reverse order, are three trades worthy of the label “worst trades in Royals’ history” and another worthy of honorable (or dishonorable) mention.