While Reed was left with nothing but a $300,000 offer from the Milwaukee Brewers and made only about $2.8 million over the remaining four years of his career, Claire located an available All-Star in DeShields.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, DeShields didn't perform like an All-Star in Los Angeles. He batted .250, .256 and .224, although he did manage to steal 27, 39 and 48 bases. Also, in a touch of irony, he turned in the key defensive play as Ramon Martinez, Pedro's brother, pitched a 7-0 no-hitter against the Florida Marlins in 1995.
"With any trade," Claire said in reflection, "whether it was made by Al or me or anybody else, the goal is to improve the team. But you look back, and it's pretty easy to judge. Would you classify those trades, whether it was Pedro or Franco or Stewart or Sutcliffe or Wetteland, as good trades? No, I don't know how you could."
In the case of Martinez, the young right-hander had dislocated his left shoulder swinging a bat at triple-A Albuquerque late in the 1992 season. The injury was surgically repaired by Dr. Frank Jobe in October, and Martinez came back in 1993, his first full season with the Dodgers, to make 65 appearances, 63 in relief, with a 10-5 record, 2.61 earned-run average and 119 strikeouts in 107 innings.
His reward: the November trade to Montreal after Reed's contract rejection had created the vacancy at second base. The trade, at the time, was actually criticized by Montreal media and applauded by L.A. media.
Claire said he made it after consultation with Lasorda, Ralph Avila and others in the baseball department, as well as with Jobe, who in talking about it for the first time with this writer in 1999 said he felt that he definitely influenced Claire's decision.
"It wasn't all Fred's fault," Jobe said. "I don't think I said get rid of him, I'd never say that, but the circumstances kind of spoke for themselves. His shoulder had come out once, and once an injury of that type occurs, you can't say it won't reoccur.
"He had kind of a delicate stature to start with [Martinez is generously listed at 5 feet 11, 170 pounds], and there were already questions [in the baseball department] about his stamina. It's a judgment call, but you had to kind of wonder, 'Golly, is this kid going to break down?' "
Martinez has since been on the disabled list seven times, but he made 117 consecutive starts with the Expos, has made 30 or more starts in a season seven times (29 in a season three other times) and he never needed surgery again until October 2006, when a rotator cuff tear was repaired.
