August 31, 2000: Red Sox acquire Dante Bichette from the Cincinnati Reds for John Curtice and Chris Reitsma.
Dante Bichette was a four-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger. While his best years with the Colorado Rockies were boosted by playing in the pre-humidor Coors Field, Bichette was still a very solid hitter when he came to Boston for the final stage of his career.
Bichette hit .289 with a .854 OPS, 7 home runs and 14 RBI in 30 games after he was acquired on the final day of the waiver deadline. He did his part to aid a late-season playoff push but the Red Sox still finished 2.5 games behind the Yankees for the division title.
He remained a useful player the following season when he hit .286/.325/.460 with 12 homers and 49 RBI in 107 games. Boston finished second in the division once again but this time they were a distant 13.5 games behind New York. Bichette called it a career after that season at the age of 37.
Dante’s son Bo Bichette is the No. 13 overall prospect in baseball and could make his big league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in the near future, making him a rival of his father’s former team for years to come.