Worst. Trade. Ever.

Many consider the Frank Robinson trade to be the most lopsided, ignorant trade in Reds history. However, in recent years, some have begun to say that trading Josh Hamilton may have been just as bad or worse.

People on Twitter often point to several issues that suggest it was a worse trade. Here are a few.

• They suggest that because Edinson Volquez didn't work out here, it was a bad deal. Volquez, in his time in a Reds uniform, went 30-18 with a 4.17 ERA in 4 years. I think the problem that people had with Volquez was that he was never as good as he was in his first season. He had steadily declined as time went on. Was this because NL batters were figuring him out? Was he getting worse? Did the Tommy John surgery mess up his mechanics? Was the pressure getting to him and the behavioral issues he had in Texas crept back up on him? There's really no way to know if any or all of these questions were factors. He's had a 2-2 record in 8 starts for San Diego this season, although 6 of those 8 starts have come in spacious Petco Park. A decent start to the season. So the jury is still out.

• They see the continued lack of a power-hitting left fielder as an indicator of a bad trade. Josh Hamilton played 9 games in left in 2006, while Adam Dunn was still here. Would anyone care to fathom a guess at how many different guys from 2006-2012 have stood in left field? Anyone? Okay. Including Dunn and Hamilton, a total of 25 different men has patrolled the grass behind shortstop and third. Besides Dunn, Gomes in 2010 was the only one to play more than 100 games at left. So, the lack of a solid left-fielder would be a reasonable concern. But one has to wonder, has Dusty given any of them, other than Gomes, a decent chance at doing the job on an everyday basis?

• Obviously, the biggest point they make is that Josh Hamilton has been a 5-tool, All-Star, MVP since going to Texas. With the short porch in right, many suggest he would have had just as much, if not more, success if he had stayed in Cincinnati. I can't disagree with this. But Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs and Joey Votto were on the way up. And Griffey and Dunn were still there. The front office thought they had all the power they needed, and they thought it was time to finally go get some pitching. Hamilton was their biggest bargaining chip. But then the Big Donkey got sent to the desert. The Kid's injury-riddled time in the Queen City got him shipped to the south side of Chicago to DH. Bruce and Stubbs had some trouble, as rookies often do, when they showed up.

So, add all these things up, and I can understand the outrage some people have with the fact that Hamilton was traded away. And I can understand that. But I have to suggest that it had to be this way. Trades are the nature of the beast. More often than not, it works out for one team better than another. I'd imagine the Indians might like to have Brandon Phillips back. But at the time, the trade seemed like it made sense for everyone. And for small-market teams like the Reds, and at the time the Rangers, it's difficult to hang on to a lot of superstars for a long period of time. Hamilton is a free agent at the end of this season. The past two seasons, he's made $12 million. I'm gonna guess he's gonna get Votto/Pujols/A-Rod money from some team very soon.

And obviously, if the Reds had to pay Mr. Hamilton that much money, some combination of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto probably can't stay here too. So while I think that it was a bad trade in retrospect, there was no way to know that then. But every team is a product of all the trades call-ups, send-downs, retirements, and free agent departures that occur. I like this team right now. And I think they have the potential to do well without Hamilton. And if they get better over the next couple of years, and it's partly because of Mat Latos, we can indirectly thank Josh Hamilton for that.

As for Frank Robinson, talk to me again once Hamilton has been retired for 5 years. Then we'll decide which trade was worse for the Reds. Then again, I'm sure there will be some other current trade to complain about by then.

Twitter bio of the day: @thejoshhamilton

What? you thought I was gonna write an entire entry about Josh Hamilton, then make someone else the bio of the day? Well, had I done it any other day but today or yesterday, I would have had to. Josh just got on Twitter yesterday,  but he's got over 52,000 followers already. So hurry up and get over there. All the nostalgic kids are doing it.