Curt Schilling
The deal for Curt Schilling might be one of the best and also the most important that the Red Sox have ever made. There are numerous reasons why the 2004 Red Sox were able to finally end the eighty-six year drought and win the World Series and Schilling is chief among them.
In my article on the worst trades in Red Sox history, I included the deal that sent Schilling to Baltimore when he was a prospect in 1988. Luckily, in 2004 they got a do-over and made it right. After winning the World Series (and co-World Series MVP award) with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, Schilling was traded to the Red Sox in the winter of 2003 for Jorge de la Rosa, Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, and Mike Goss.
All ended up being forgettable while Schilling would help the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 and 2007. In 2004, the big righty went 21-6 with a 3.25 ERA and 203 strikeouts. He was even better in the postseason and forever entered Red Sox lore when he pitched on a hastily surgically repaired ankle with a “bloody sock” in both Game Six of the ALCS and Game Two of the World Series, winning both decisions.
In the four seasons in Boston that wrapped up Schilling’s career, he went 53-29 with a 4.20 ERA and 574 strikeouts. He was never the same after 2004 and relied more on his guile and command once his velocity diminished. He was instrumental in winning another World Series in 2007 before finally retiring.
The Red Sox were able to bring Schilling full circle so that he could end his career where it started in what was one of the biggest trade heists in franchise history.