The 1991 Topps Traded baseball card set was issued midway through the 1991 MLB season as a traded set, featuring stars who had been dealt to new teams since the initial 1991 Topps flagship release earlier that year. The 168-card set proved to be one of the most notable and valuable Topps Traded issues owing to some major league trades and debuts it captured.
Several blockbuster deals from that summer are immortalized in the 1991 Topps Traded set. Perhaps most famously, cards #T1 and #T2 depict Yankees pitcher Andy Hawkins and outfielder Mike Witt, respectively, after being acquired by the San Diego Padres on June 4th, 1991 in the trade that sent slugger Fred McGriff to New York. McGriff would go on to have a monster season for the Yankees and finish 2nd in AL MVP voting. His departure from San Diego was a major storyline and these early cards in the Traded set commemorated the swap.
Another massive trade from that season depicted was the June 11th, 1991 deal between the Dodgers and Cardinals. The Dodgers, sensing the need for pitching, acquired Cardinals hurlers Bryn Smith (#T8) and Todd Worrell (#T9). In exchange, the Cardinals received outfielders Tom Pagnozzi (#T7) and Pedro Guerrero (#T10). Both teams bolstered weaknesses, though the Dodgers got the better end as Smith and Worrell helped lead them to the NL West title.
Rookie phenomenon Jeff Bagwell also made his MLB debut on June 8th, 1991 after being called up by the Houston Astros, and card #T11 in the Traded set was one of the first to feature him in an Astros uniform. Bagwell would go on to win Rookie of the Year and establish himself as one of the game’s top first basemen of the 1990s. His rookie card from this issue remains a key piece for Astros and Bagwell collectors.
Other notable players included in the 1991 Topps Traded set were Bobby Bonilla (#T12) after being acquired by the New York Mets, Scott Bankhead (#T16) after joining the Boston Red Sox, and Darren Daulton (#T21) following his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies. All three players became core contributors on playoff and World Series teams in the early 1990s.
Rookies Chuck Knoblauch (#T41) and David Cone (#T50), in their post-debut uniforms for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively, also gained attention as prospects to watch. Knoblauch emerged as an All-Star 2B while Cone re-established himself as an ace after struggles in New York. The set helped make new fanbases aware of these rising young talents.
Veteran hurlers such as Oil Can Boyd (#T59), acquired by the Cincinnati Reds, and Dennis Lamp (#T74), obtained by the Chicago White Sox, received cards highlighting their moves as well. And the blockbuster June 27th, 1991 deal that shipped Willie McGee (#T77) from the Cardinals to the Athletics in exchange for outfielder Feliz Jose (#T76) closed out a run of major midseason swaps captured for collectors.
condition. The image quality and centering are top-notch compared to many issues from the early 90s. The durable cardboard stock has also held up exceedingly well, and finding high grade examples 30 years later is very possible.
In the following decades, the 1991 Topps Traded set has grown in esteem and value as one of the best and most historically complete traded sets ever produced by Topps. It captured so many critical trades and debuts from a memorable MLB season. Key rookie cards like Bagwell and Knoblauch have appreciated greatly. And complete sets still command over $1,000 today due to scarcity and demand from enthusiasts. When factoring in what the issue contained relative to the time period, 1991 Topps Traded earns a place as one of the most coveted and important traded releases in the hobby’s history.
