The Yankees Trade for Paul O'Neill

On November 3, 1992, the New York Yankees acquired outfielder Paul O'Neill from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for center fielder Roberto Kelly. The deal barely registered at the time. Within a few years, it became one of the most lopsided trades in franchise history.

O'Neill had spent seven seasons in Cincinnati, winning a World Series ring in 1990. But the Reds saw him as a platoon player with a temper problem. He hit .246 in 1992 and seemed to be trending downward. GM Gene Michael of the Yankees disagreed. Michael believed O'Neill's left-handed swing was suited for Yankee Stadium's short right-field porch, and he saw a hitter whose intensity would translate to New York rather than combust.

Michael was right. O'Neill batted .311 in his first season in pinstripes. In 1994, he won the American League batting title with a .359 average during the strike-shortened season. He became the emotional heartbeat of the dynasty teams that won four World Series between 1996 and 2000.

His presence in right field defined an era. O'Neill played with a fury that Yankee fans recognized as their own. He destroyed water coolers after strikeouts. He sprinted out routine grounders. The fans in the bleachers adopted him completely.

Kelly, the player the Reds received, hit .319 in his first Cincinnati season but declined from there. He bounced to four teams over the next five years.

O'Neill retired after the 2001 World Series. The Yankees gave him a plaque in Monument Park and retired his number 21 in 2022.