Once upon a time, the Astros used a 17th-round draft pick to take a chance on a speedy outfielder named Kenny Lofton. He reached the major leagues in 1991 at age 24, playing in 20 games but hitting only .203/.253/.216. He’d hit .308 in Triple-A that year, but his first taste of the show did not go particularly well.
So what did the Astros do? They traded him of course! Following the season, they sent Lofton along with infielder Dave Rohde to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for right-handed pitcher Willie Blair and catcher Ed Taubensee.