On this date in 2005, the Padres traded All-Star 2nd baseman Mark Loretta for backup catcher Doug Mirabelli. The move allowed the team to make room for heralded prospect Josh Barfield, at least for one season. Barfield would get traded a year later for equally unimpressive Kevin Kouzmanoff, but that’s a different story.
Of course, the funniest part would come a month into the season.
Loretta would have an All-Star season in Boston, yet Mirabelli would get off to a horrendous start in a Padre uniform. He hit .