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28 MLB trade deadline deal prospects since 2000 who went on to become All-Stars
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has made three All-Star Games and won one AL MVP. Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports

28 MLB trade deadline deal prospects since 2000 who went on to become All-Stars

There's plenty of wheeling and dealing of prospects at the trade deadline. Some of those prospects never pan out, while other times they go on to become stars. When that happens, teams live to regret the prospects they traded away, particularly when trading multiple prospects at a time.

The following features 28 prospects dealt at the trade deadline who eventually became MLB All-Stars.

 
1 of 28

Elvis Andrus, SS

Elvis Andrus, SS
Dennis Wierzbicki / USA Today Sports Images

An elite shortstop prospect for the Braves in 2007, Andrus was packaged with Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Beau Jones to the Rangers for star first baseman Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay. Teixeira wasn't able to do much for Atlanta as a rental over the next year, but Andrus has been a core player for Texas since 2009, making two All-Star appearances.

 
2 of 28

Jason Bartlett, SS

Jason Bartlett, SS
Ron Vesely / Getty Images

The Padres traded an all-glove shortstop prospect named Jason Bartlett to the Twins for Brian Buchanan in 2002. Buchanan would take his final MLB at-bat in 2004, while Bartlett went on to have a brief but productive career in the majors between the Twins, Rays and Padres. He made an All-Star appearance in 2009 in a season in which he hit .320-14-66 with 30 stolen bases.

 
3 of 28

Jose Bautista, 3B/OF

Jose Bautista, 3B/OF
Rick Osentoski / USA Today Sports Images

Bautista was traded twice on July 30, 2004, first getting shipped from the Royals to the Mets and then to the Pirates in a package for Kris Benson and Ty Wigginton. He hit 43 home runs in parts of five seasons with the Pirates before Toronto acquired him in 2008. The rest is history, as Bautista led the AL in home runs twice and made six straight All-Star Games from 2010-15.

 
4 of 28

Jason Bay, OF

Jason Bay, OF
Al Bello / Getty Images

Bay was a productive minor leaguer but was traded three times before making his mark in Pittsburgh. His second trade was a deadline deal in which he was shipped from the Mets to the Padres in 2002 for Jason Middlebrook and Steve Reed. Bay made three All-Star appearances during his career and hit 222 career home runs.

 
5 of 28

Michael Brantley, OF

Michael Brantley, OF
David Richard / USA Today Sports Images

Brantley was a player to be named later in a 2008 blockbuster between the Brewers and Indians that sent CC Sabathia to Milwaukee. The centerpiece of the deal for Cleveland was Matt LaPorta, but Brantley has clearly been the most productive prospect acquired, making two All-Star appearances.

 
6 of 28

John Buck, C

John Buck, C
Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

Acquired by the Royals in 2004 in a three-team trade from Houston, Buck was a starting catcher in the majors for 10 years. He made his only All-Star appearance after leaving K.C. following the 2009 season, hitting 20 home runs with Toronto the following year.

 
7 of 28

Nelson Cruz, OF

Nelson Cruz, OF
Kelley L Cox / USA TODAY Sports

Cruz was seemingly a throw-in alongside Carlos Lee at the 2006 deadline, getting shipped from Milwaukee to Texas for a package of prospects. After reworking his swing in 2008, Cruz became an All-Star and 33-homer hitter with Texas in 2009. He's made four more All-Star appearances over the last five seasons, mostly with Seattle.

 
8 of 28

Josh Donaldson, 3B

Josh Donaldson, 3B
Ed Szczepanski / USA TODAY Sports

Oakland acquired a package of four young players from the Cubs in 2008 for Rich Harden. One of those players was Donaldson, a supplemental first-round catcher. Donaldson eventually became a star third baseman in Oakland and won the AL MVP after getting traded to Toronto in 2015. He's made three All-Star appearances.

 
9 of 28

Adam Duvall, OF

Adam Duvall, OF
David Kohl / USA Today Sports Images

A highly productive minor league power hitter in the Giants organization, Duvall failed to get a real opportunity until getting traded to Cincinnati in 2015 for Mike Leake. He hit .241-33-103 with Cincinnati in 2016, making an All-Star appearance.

 
10 of 28

Neftali Feliz, RP

Neftali Feliz, RP
Jerome Miron / USA TODAY Sports

Acquired by Texas from Atlanta in the aforementioned Mark Teixeira trade in 2007, Feliz eventually became the Rangers closer, making an All-Star appearance and winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2010.

 
11 of 28

Michael Fulmer, SP

Michael Fulmer, SP
Peter Aiken / USA Today Sports Images

The Mets' acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes in 2015 was costly, sending Fulmer and Luis Cessa to Detroit. Fulmer won AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 and made his first All-Star appearance last year.

 
12 of 28

Avisail Garcia, OF

Avisail Garcia, OF
Peter Aiken / USA Today Sports Images

The White Sox traded Jake Peavy at the deadline in 2013, acquiring a package of prospects that included Garcia. The former Tigers farmhand was slow to develop, but he had a breakout season at the plate in 2017 and made the AL All-Star team that year. 

 
13 of 28

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports Images

The first overall pick in the 2000 draft by the Marlins, Gonzalez was traded twice before breaking out with the Padres in 2006. His first trade was from the Marlins to the Rangers in 2003 for Ugueth Urbina. Now in the twilight of his career, Gonzalez has made five All-Star appearances and has more than 300 career home runs.

 
14 of 28

Josh Harrison, 3B/2B

Josh Harrison, 3B/2B
Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports Images

The Cubs traded Harrison and two other prospects to Pittsburgh for Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow in 2009. The speedy infielder, now with Detroit, made a name for himself with the Pirates and made All-Star appearances in 2014 and 2017.

 
15 of 28

Scott Kazmir, SP

Scott Kazmir, SP
Allan Henry / USA TODAY Sports

A notorious trade for Mets fans occurred in 2004 when New York traded its best pitching prospect, Kazmir, in a two-for-two package for Victor Zambrano. The wild Zambrano had a 4.42 ERA over parts of three seasons with the Mets, while Kazmir made two All-Star appearances in Tampa Bay and a third, most recently, with Oakland.

 
16 of 28

Corey Kluber, SP

Corey Kluber, SP
David Richard / USA Today Sports Images

An underrated prospect, Kluber was traded from San Diego to Cleveland in a three-team deal that featured Jake Westbrook in 2010. Kluber reached the majors the following season and became an ace for the Indians, winning the AL Cy Young in 2014 and 2017 and making three All-Star appearances.

 
17 of 28

Corey Knebel, RP

Corey Knebel, RP
Benny Sieu / USA Today Sports Images

Knebel emerged as an elite closer for the Brewers two years ago, making his first All-Star appearance in 2017. The former first-round pick was sent from Detroit to Texas in a deadline deal for Joakim Soria in 2014 before going to Milwaukee in 2015 for Yovani Gallardo.

 
18 of 28

Ryan Ludwick, OF

Ryan Ludwick, OF
Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

A familiar trade target during his career, Ludwick's second trade sent him from Texas to Cleveland at the deadline for Ricardo Rodriguez and Shane Spencer in 2003. The power-hitting prospect didn't establish himself as a big leaguer until he signed with the Cardinals in 2007, and he made his lone All-Star appearance the following year, hitting .299-37-113.

 
19 of 28

Mark Melancon, RP

Mark Melancon, RP
Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports Images

Now a highly paid reliever in San Francisco, Melancon was traded from the Yankees to the Astros for Lance Berkman in 2010. An up-and-down closer, Melancon broke out after arriving in Pittsburgh in 2013. He made three All-Star appearances with the Pirates in four years.

 
20 of 28

Drew Pomeranz, SP

Drew Pomeranz, SP
Jake Roth / USA Today Sports Images

Colorado acquired a supposed blockbuster haul for its ace, Ubaldo Jimenez, from the Indians in 2011. Pomeranz was included, but he didn't truly break out as a starter until joining the Padres in 2016, notching his first All-Star appearance.

 
21 of 28

Wilson Ramos, C

Wilson Ramos, C
Jake Roth / USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota acquired reliever Matt Capps in 2010, shipping a top catching prospect to Washington who was stuck behind Joe Mauer. That prospect was Ramos, who made an All-Star appearance with the Nats in 2016 before signing with Tampa Bay ahead of the 2017 season.

 
22 of 28

Addison Russell, SS

Addison Russell, SS
Brett Davis / USA Today Sports Images

Oakland decided to make a run in 2014, trading top prospect Russell along with Billy McKinney and Dan Straily to the Cubs for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. Russell made his first All-Star appearance at age 22 in 2016 and was a key part of the Cubs' World Series squad.

 
23 of 28

Freddy Sanchez, 2B

Freddy Sanchez, 2B
Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

Boston traded Sanchez and Mike Gonzalez to Pittsburgh for Brandon Lyon, Jeff Suppan and Anastacio Martinez in 2003. Sanchez was a productive hitter in Pittsburgh for parts of six seasons, making three All-Star appearances and winning the 2006 NL batting title.

 
24 of 28

Jean Segura, SS

Jean Segura, SS
Richard Mackson / USA Today Sports Images

Segura was shipped from the Angels to Milwaukee in 2012 along with two other prospects for Zack Greinke. The Brewers then traded the shortstop to Arizona before the 2016 season where he broke out, hitting .319-20-64 with 33 stolen bases and he made the NL All-Star team. He had another good year after being traded to Seattle and made his second All-Star Game appearance, in 2018.

 
25 of 28

Justin Smoak, 1B

Justin Smoak, 1B
Brad Penner / USA Today Sports Images

Smoak was the centerpiece of a deal the Rangers made to acquire Cliff Lee from Seattle in 2010. The former top prospect was never able to establish himself with the Mariners, but he became an All-Star with Toronto in 2017.

 
26 of 28

Jack Wilson, SS

Jack Wilson, SS
George Gojkovich / Getty Images

St. Louis traded Wilson to Pittsburgh for left-handed reliever Jason Christiansen in 2000. While Wilson wasn't a great hitter during his career, he did win a Silver Slugger and made the All-Star Game in 2004, hitting .308-11-59.

 
27 of 28

Michael Young, SS/2B/1B

Michael Young, SS/2B/1B
Jerome Miron / USA TODAY Sports

Texas got superb return for Esteban Loaiza in 2000, acquiring Young from the Blue Jays. Young was a seven-time All-Star in Texas and retired as a .300 hitter over 14 seasons.

 
28 of 28

Ben Zobrist, SS/2B/OF

Ben Zobrist, SS/2B/OF
Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay acquired Zobrist and Mitch Talbot from the Astros for Aubrey Huff in 2006. A hitter who hit for average in the minors, Zobrist suddenly showed excellent power in 2008. He made two All-Star appearances in Tampa Bay and was also an All-Star with the Cubs in 2016.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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