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As we inch toward the start of summer, trade chatter around Major League Baseball will inevitably heat up in anticipation of the July 30 Trade Deadline. But some teams in years past haven’t waited until the last minute to do their midseason shopping. Many have pulled off deals that involved MVPs, Cy Young Award winners, postseason legends and future Hall of Famers. This month has seen trades that either catapulted teams and players to immediate success or set the foundation for future greatness.
Here is a rundown of the most impactful trades in the month of June since the Trade Deadline was moved to July in 1986.
By Rick Cleveland
Apr 23, 2021 7:44 PM
Mike Kinnisonâs No. 15 jersey will be retired at Delta State Saturday. Kinnison, a former DSU All American, won 75.6 percent of his games as the schoolâs head coach. He won a national championship in 2004 and six NCAA Regional titles as head coach.
Authorâs note:  Delta State University will retire former head baseball coach Mike Kinnison No. 15 jersey in a ceremony Saturday at Harvey Stadium-Ferriss Field prior to the 2 p.m. doubleheader against the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Â
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Kinnison guided the Statesmen to the 2004 NCAA Division II national championship, six College World Series appearances and 15 NCAA South Regional appearances. His Delta State teams won 981 games, while losing only 313 for a 75.6 win percentage. He averaged 42.5 victories per season.
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Winning a Cy Young Award is a testament to an excellent season. It’s also an important line on a pitcher’s resume, and it can often increase his value moving forward. Sometimes, that shows in free agency there have been seven pitchers to become free agents in the offseason immediately following a Cy Young win. Other times, it’s evident in the return a team gets on a deal, trading away a pitcher who recently won an award.
There have been four pitchers to be traded in the offseason immediately following a Cy Young Award. And there have been 29 instances of a pitcher being traded within two seasons of earning the honor, including the offseason after that second season. Blake Snell, who went from the Rays to the Padres two seasons after winning the 2018 American League Cy Young Award, is the most recent.