With all due respect to Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez, two incredible players, the acquisition that sent them for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter was the transaction that made Toronto.
Carter was the one who hit the most famous Home Run in Blue Jays history, but Alomar was the true gem of the deal. In the five seasons that Alomar was with Toronto, there was no doubt that he was the top Second Baseball in the American League, both with his bat and glove. Alomar went to the All-Star Game and won the Gold Glove in all of his Jays campaigns, and was the engine that led Toronto to back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993.
Alomar was an excellent hitter when he played for Toronto. He batted over .300 in four of his five years, with the other year seeing the Second Baseman bat .295. He had a patient eye, walked often, and when he was on base, he was always a threat to steal, swiping over 50 bases twice and 206 in total in Toronto.
As good as Alomar was, he grew impatient with the Blue Jays management when they went into rebuilding mode, and he signed with Baltimore after the 1995 Season as a Free Agent. He batted. 307 with 832 Hits for Toronto, and would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and is also a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall. The team also retired his #12, and inducted him into their Level of Excellence, though neither are no longer displayed following sexual misconduct allegations when he worked for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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