Ken Griffey, Jr. Trade
From BR Bullpen
In 1999, Ken Griffey, Jr. had become disenfranchised with the Seattle Mariners and demanded to be traded during the off season, which finally occurred on February 10, 2000. It is interesting to note that he demanded this trade just after becoming a ten and five player (ten years major league experience and five years in succession with the same team), meaning he had the ability to veto any trade involving him. After he vetoed trades to the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, newly christened Mariners general manager Pat Gillick wound up trading him to the Cincinnati Reds (his father's former team) on February 10, 2000
| February 10, 2000 | |
|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds get: | Seattle Mariners get: |
| Ken Griffey, Jr. | Mike Cameron |
| Jake Meyer (never reached major leagues) | |
| Antonio Perez | |
| Brett Tomko | |
Mike Cameron is the only player the Mariners got in return that had any kind of positive impact. He instantly clicked with M's fans, especially after robbing Derek Jeter of a home run at Safeco Field in the first week of his first season in Seattle and made the American League All Star Team in 2001. He left as a free agent after the 2003 season, with an average of .256 in Seattle.
Brett Tomko is the only other player who spent time with the Mariners' major league club. In his two seasons, he accumulated a 8-6 record with a 4.82 ERA. In 2001, he only pithed in 11 games due to poor performance.
Antonio Perez never played with the Mariners, but did reach the major leagues, playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics from 2003-2006.
Jake Meyer topped out at AAA ball and never reached the major leagues.
Ken Griffey, Jr. has been prone to injury much of the time with the Reds, although recently not so much. Through 2007, he has a .273 average in his eight seasons with the Reds and has averaged 24 home runs and 105 games per year. In 2007, the Reds played a three game series in Seattle, Griffey's first games in his former home city. He received a very warm reception from the crowd at Safeco Field.
