Astros: Revisiting 1994 Ken Caminiti trade with Padres

Houston Astros player Derek Bell (L) congratulates teammate Ken Caminiti after Caminiti hit a home run in the second inning of their second Division Series playoff game with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia 06 October 1999. AFP PHOTO/STEVE SCHAEFER (Photo by STEVE SCHAEFER / AFP) (Photo credit should read STEVE SCHAEFER/AFP via Getty Images)
Houston Astros player Derek Bell (L) congratulates teammate Ken Caminiti after Caminiti hit a home run in the second inning of their second Division Series playoff game with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia 06 October 1999. AFP PHOTO/STEVE SCHAEFER (Photo by STEVE SCHAEFER / AFP) (Photo credit should read STEVE SCHAEFER/AFP via Getty Images)
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4 Jun 1998: Ken Caminiti #21 of the San Diego Padres looking on during a game against the Houston Astros at Qualcomm Park in San Diego, California. The Padres defeated the Astros 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Harry How /Allsport
4 Jun 1998: Ken Caminiti #21 of the San Diego Padres looking on during a game against the Houston Astros at Qualcomm Park in San Diego, California. The Padres defeated the Astros 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Harry How /Allsport

What the Astros Gave Up

Caminiti, 31 at the time, was the centerpiece, and he took his career to new heights in San Diego. Some of that can be attributed to leaving the Astrodome, and some to his own admitted steroid use. Regardless, what he did on the field with the Padres dwarfed his time with the Astros.

In four seasons in San Diego, he hit .295/.384/.540 with 121 home runs, compared to .264/.330/.402 with 103 homers in 10 total seasons in Houston. He won three Gold Gloves, was a three-time All-Star and the 1996 NL MVP with the Padres. By the time he returned to the Astros as a free agent prior to the 1999 season, his prime was done.

Finley was the co-headliner, and like Caminiti, he performed better after the trade than he did before it. He was 29 at the time and had put together a .281/.331/.406 line with 32 homers, 88 doubles and 110 steals in four seasons with the Astros. Of course he found his power after the trade as well.

In four seasons with the Padres, Finley hit 82 homers, 134 doubles and stole 85 bases with a .276/.334/.458 line. He would have his best run with the Diamondbacks, hitting 166 homers over the next six seasons.

Cedeno had quietly put together a decent couple of seasons as the Astros shortstop, putting up league average production on offense in the two campaigns prior to the trade. He was only 25, but his performance cratered as he hit just .217/.273/.311 with the Padres. He was sent to Detroit in 1996 along with Brad Ausmus and returned to the Astros in Sept. 1996, but that was his last stint in the major leagues.

Pentagine was just 23 years old and had made a brief major league debut in 1994. But he was never able to establish himself in the majors and lasted only one season with the Padres before being shipped to the Mets.

Williams was a 25-year-old right-hander who was coming off a 5.74 ERA in 1994 split between the rotation and the bullpen. He went 3-10 with a 6.00 ERA in 1995 before the Padres released him. He returned to Houston in 1999 to compile a 4.41 ERA in relief, but was out of the majors after 2000.

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