In keeping with the topic of big trades, here is a list of the 10 best trades made in the 1990s. And if you look at it from the flipside, you could also call the list the 10 worst trades of the decade.

The Red Sox, looking to improve their bullpen for the stretch run, traded Bagwell, then a Double-A third baseman who had hit just three home runs in 1990, for an aging Andersen, who pitched just 22 innings for the Red Sox.

The next season Andersen signed with the San Diego Padres. Bagwell, meanwhile, has gone on to have a glorious career, winning the NL MVP award in 1994 and finishing second in 1999 and third in 1997.

2. Sammy Sosa (March 30, 1992)
The trade: The Chicago White Sox traded Sosa along with P Ken Patterson to the Chicago Cubs for OF George Bell

Not wanting to wait for a young Sosa to develop, the White Sox shipped him to the crosstown rival Cubs for an over-the-hill Bell, who played just two years with the Sox before retiring.

Sosa has not only become a household name and a Wrigley Field icon but, along with Mark McGwire, became baseball's most prominent power hitter over the last two years. Sosa has knocked in 100 runs five straight seasons and smacked 129 home runs the past two seasons, second only to McGwire's 135.

3. Mark McGwire (July 31, 1997)
The trade: The Oakland Athletics traded McGwire to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitchers T.J. Matthews, Eric Ludwick and Blake Stein

Fearing they couldn't afford his salary demands as he was in the last year of his contract, the A's dealt Big Mac for three unknown pitchers. McGwire went on to have two of the most prolific seasons in baseball history in 1998 and '99. By the way, the Cardinals had no trouble re-signing McGwire, though his price tag of about $36 million for four years was too much for Oakland.

The Cardinals haven't followed Big Mac's lead as they've failed to make the playoffs in his 2½ years with the club. The A's, meanwhile, nearly qualified a season ago. Just think how good they might have been if the Big Redhead was still in the middle of their batting order.

4. Pedro Martinez (Nov. 18, 1997)
The trade: The Montreal Expos traded Martinez to the Boston Red Sox for pitchers Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr.

Once again a high-salary demand became too much for the low-budget Expos. And this time it cost them dearly as Martinez was coming off a Cy Young season and maintained his status as the best in the game.

This past season, Martinez led the Red Sox to within two wins of the World Series while putting together one of the best seasons -- 23-4 with a microscopic 2.07 ERA -- by a pitcher in recent memory.

On the other hand, Pavano has struggled in his two years with the Expos, compiling a 12-17 record with a 4.83 ERA. Armas had a good year in Double-A last season, but remains a ways off from contributing at the major-league level.

4a. Pedro Martinez (Nov. 19, 1993)
The trade: The Los Angeles Dodgers traded Martinez to the Montreal Expos for 2B Delino DeShields

Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda thought Martinez didn't have a big enough frame to be a successful major league pitcher so Lasorda dealt him away after his rookie season to fill a hole at second base. Though undersized, Martinez has made a fool out of Lasorda with the way he's developed into the most dominant pitcher in baseball.

DeShields, meanwhile, lasted three seasons with the Dodgers, never hitting higher than .256.

Keep an eye on ...

Bobby Abreu After the Devil Rays drafted Abreu from the Astros in the 1997 expansion draft, they traded him to the Phillies for Kevin Stocker. Abreu has developed into a potential batting champ after hitting .335 last season, while Stocker is a light-hitting shortstop. Brian Giles The Pirates acquired Giles from the Indians prior to last season for left-handed reliever Ricardo Rincon and Giles had a breakout year, hitting 39 homers and driving in 115 runs. He soon could become a superstar. Man, is Cleveland regretting letting him go. Jeromy Burnitz This one came before Giles, but it hurts just as much for Cleveland. The Indians dealt Burnitz to the Brewers for veteran infielder Kevin Seitzer for the stretch drive in 1996. In three full years in Milwaukee, Burnitz has hit an average of 32 homers and driven in an average of 104 runs. Tony Batista Looking to shore up their middle relief (?), last June the Diamondbacks dealt Batista, their starting shortstop at the time, to the Blue Jays for lefty setup man Dan Plesac. Batista went on to hit 26 homers with 79 RBI in 98 games. Plesac pitched just 21.2 innings in 34 games for the D-Backs. Derek Lowe, Jason Varitek The Red Sox unloaded Heathcliffe Slocumb onto the Mariners in July 1997. In return, the Sox got Lowe, who could become a closer or even a 20-game winner and is as versatile as any pitcher in the game today. Varitek had a solid 1999 (20 homers, 76 RBI) and should be Boston's backstop for years to come. Marlins get five prospects In early July of last year, Florida shipped Matt Mantei to Arizona for pitchers Vladimir Nunez, Brad Penny and outfielder Abraham Nunez. Then in late July, the Marlins acquired two former first-round picks in pitchers Jason Grilli and Nate Bump from San Francisco for Livan Hernandez. All five of the players Florida acquired are top prospects and if they develop into top-flight guys the Marlins could become respectable -- if not a contender -- in a hurry.

5. Curt Schilling (April 2, 1992)
The trade: The Houston Astros traded Schilling to the Philadelphia Phillies for P Jason Grimsley

Before undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason, Schilling was among the top pitchers in the game. If he returns to that level again remains to be seen, but over the last three years has become the Phillies' workhorse and ace. In 1997 and 1998, he led the NL in strikeouts with 319 and 300 respectively. He also led the Phillies to the World Series in 1993.

Grimsley, meanwhile, never did pitch in the majors for the Astros.

6. David Cone (July 28, 1995)
The trade: The Toronto Blue Jays traded Cone to the New York Yankees for pitchers Marty Janzsen, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon

Needing Cone for the stretch drive, the Yankees got the man they wanted without giving up anything at all. The Yankees went on to make the playoffs in 1995 for the first time in 14 years. And you know the rest -- three World Championships in the last four years.

Cone has gone 60-26 since the trade while Janzsen, Jarvis and Gordon won a combined six major-league games between them.

7. Paul O'Neill (Nov. 3, 1992)
The trade: The Cincinnati Reds traded O'Neill and P Joe DeBerry to the New York Yankees for OF Roberto Kelly

O'Neill had never hit .300 with the Reds, but topped that mark his first six seasons with the Yankees. He hit .359 to win the AL batting crown in 1994 and helped the Yankees to three World Series with his solid hitting and defense in right field.

Meanwhile, Kelly played just 125 games with the Reds and played with six other teams before signing with the Yankees as a free agent this winter.

8. Kenny Lofton (Dec. 10, 1991)
The trade: The Houston Astros traded Lofton along with IF Dave Rohde to the Cleveland Indians for C Ed Taubensee and P Willie Blair

With the knowledge they already had the leadoff hitter they wanted for the future in Craig Biggio, the Astros dealt Lofton, a minor leaguer at the time, to the Indians. Houston also would move Biggio away from catching to second base, and as a replacement acquired Ed Taubensee.

You can't argue with the Astros' decision to go with Biggio as their leadoff hitter as he has had a terrific career, but Lofton has arguably been baseball's best leadoff hitter since taking over the spot with the Indians in 1992, scoring at least 90 runs every season and hitting .310 while leading the league five times in steals.

9. Fred McGriff (July 18, 1993)
The trade: The San Diego Padres traded McGriff to the Atlanta Braves for OF Melvin Nieves and pitchers Donnie Elliot and Vince Moore

In need of a power-hitting first baseman, the Braves all but stole McGriff from the Padres for three minor leaguers that never developed into major league players. In 68 games in 1993, McGriff hit 19 homers and drove in 55 runs as the Braves won 104 games to win the NL West, edging the San Francisco Giants by one game.

McGriff went on to have four more productive seasons with Atlanta, averaging just under 28 homers and 98 RBI from '94-'97.

10. John Olerud (Dec. 20, 1996)
The trade: The Toronto Blue Jays traded Olerud (and cash) to the New York Mets for P Robert Person

After hitting just .274 in 1996, the Blue Jays decided they had seen enough from Olerud and shipped him to the Mets for Person. The Jays also paid $5 million of Olerud's $6 million salary in 1997, a year that saw him hit .294 with 22 homers and 102 RBI for the Mets. Two more stellar seasons with New York put him back on the map as one of the top first basemen in the majors.

Person went a combined 8-13 with Toronto for 2½ years before being shipped to Philadelphia, where he revived his career a bit by going 10-5 with the Phillies last year.