Top 10 Worst Trades in LA Angels history

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Tom Brunansky seen here with another former Angel Torii Hunter, was a home run hitting machine after he left the Angels. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /

#7 May 11, 1982 = Angels traded OF Tom Brunansky and Pitcher Mike Walters to Minnesota for reliever Doug Corbett and 2B Rob Wilfong .

Tom Brunansky was one of the Angels top prospects going into the 1982 season, but the Angels were in a win-now mode. They went out and acquired third baseman Doug DeCinces from Baltimore and they signed free agent Reggie Jackson from the Yankees as well as signing catcher Bob Boone from the Phillies.

So what did the Angels do, they decide early in the season that they needed some bullpen depth and another second baseman to back-up Bobby Grich. So they dealt away Brunansky to get second baseman Rob Wilfong and reliever Doug Corbett. Wilfong played five years for the Angels as a back-up for Grich batting .229 with 16 home runs and driving in 107 runs. Corbett in five seasons with the Angels went 14-14 with a 3.68 ERA and 22 saves.. Not bad, but in 1982 Corbett was 1-7 with a 5.05 ERA and eight saves.

Brunansky on the other hand had a long and productive career for the Twins, Cardinals, and Boston as well as Milwaukee playing 14 total seasons. He had a career batting average of .245 but powered 271 homers and drove in 919 runs. Brunansky was an All-Star in 1985 and was a big part of the 1987 World Championship Twins team hitting 32 homers with 85 RBI’s batting .259. While Corbett did a decent job he was not the closer the Angels were looking for and Wilfong did add depth in the infield, Brunansky would have been nice to have in the outfield in Anaheim especially after Don Baylor left at the end of the 1982 season and Reggie Jackson became the full-time DH.