The trades don't matter to Watson himself though. Bonilla gets $1.2 million a year from the Mets for 25 years, beginning 10 years after he retired.
Yet the Mets could have bought out his contract in a lump sum for $5.9 million.
Watson is at least an active player, somewhat.
Then there is Pittsburgh's own Mario Lemeiux, the Penguins went bankrupt and owed him so much money that they just gave him the team.