Considered one of the best relievers in Major League history and a
crucial component on the Yankees championship teams,
Mariano Rivera was almost
a Seattle Mariner. In early 1996 with
Derek Jeter struggling at shortstop,
Rivera, who had an unimpressive 5.51 ERA the year before, was almost
traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for
Felix Fermin. Fermin was a
light-hitting shortstop who was released by the Mariners later in the
season and signed by the Yankees, only to be cut two weeks later. This,
without a doubt, would have been one of the worst trades in Major
League history. Not only would the Yankees have given the Mariners a
Hall of Famer in Rivera but it also may have affected the development
of Jeter, who would have been demoted to the minor leagues.