Revisiting the Forgotten Mariners-Astros Trade for Randy Johnson

There is a legitimate argument to be made for Hall of Fame fireballer Randy Johnson, nicknamed "The Big Unit" for his 6-10 frame, as the best left-handed starter of all-time. Most remember his decade with the Seattle Mariners in which he established himself as the game's premier strikeout artist or his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks in which he led the league in K's during five of his first six years in the desert despite pitching in his late 30s.

What you might not recall is that he was an Astro for a brief period in between those two stints, as the Mariners traded him to Houston at the deadline in 1998.

The Mariners acquired shortstop Carlos Guillen, starter Freddy Garcia, and pitcher John Halama in exchange for Johnson.

Halama spent four of his nine big league seasons as a starter/reliever in Seattle. His career numbers (4.65 ERA in 262 games) were about as average as possible. Guillen played six years in Seattle, but never put up an OPS+ above 104. He only broke out when he was sent to the Detroit Tigers and made three All-Star teams. Garcia would pitch six seasons in Seattle, even leading the AL in wins and ERA during 2001. Garcia went on to a very successful 15-year career.

Johnson, meanwhile was historically dominant for Houston, as he went 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA in 11 starts for the Astros, including four complete game shutouts. Houston won 102 games with Johnson leading the rotation, but they lost in the NLDS. He signed with Arizona in the offseason.

Who Won the Trade?

This Mariners might have gotten a lot in return for Johnson, but his stellar performance in Houston makes this a draw. Houston needed that ace to get them into the playoffs, and he did just that.