Johnny Damon
During his six full years as general manager, Baird traded away popular players [[Johnny Damon]], [[Carlos Beltrán]], and [[Jermaine Dye]] with many Royal fans feeling that the team didn't get equal value. He also signed free agent [[Juan González (baseball player)|Juan González]] to a one-year, $4 million contract, but he played only 33 games due to a back injury.