54 Mastering The Art Of The Deal
In the whirlwind world of professional sports, where player trades are as common as home runs and touchdowns, a rare phenomenon occasionally throws a curveball in the history books. Enter the exclusive club of athletes who have achieved the peculiar distinction of being traded for the most unexpected asset: themselves. The list of such players is remarkably short, with only a quartet of baseball’s finest able to claim this unusual trade story.
The trailblazer of this unique trade club was none other than Harry Chiti, etching his name in the annals of sports trivia.
His journey into this oddity began when the Cleveland Indians (now known as the Cleveland Guardians) shipped Chiti off to the New York Mets in a deal that included a future player to be determined. Chiti, who was pegged to bolster the Mets’ bullpen, found himself at the center of a surreal twist just months down the line.
In a move that seems to defy the logic of trades, the Mets selected Chiti as the “player to be named later,” effectively sending him back to his original team as part of the very same transaction. This head-spinning arrangement, while complex, perfectly encapsulates the unpredictable nature of sports trades and ensures Harry Chiti’s unique claim to fame within the baseball world..