The Mariners trading Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers for prospects ranks as the CBSSports.com Rumors blog's fourth-worst trade-deadline deal since 2007.

Year: 2010

Trading partner: Texas Rangers

Who the Mariners acquired: First baseman Justin Smoak, pitcher Blake Beavan, second baseman Matt Lawson and pitcher Josh Lueke.

Who the Mariners gave up: Cliff Lee, reliever Mark Lowe and cash considerations.

Why the deal backfired for the Mariners: In early July 2010, Seattle found itself 16 games behind the Rangers in the AL West, with free agent-to-be pitcher Cliff Lee -- its ace -- on its roster. The Mariners had acquired Lee in the offseason, thinking they were ready to contend. Sometimes, the best laid plans go awry.

Forced to sell, Seattle traded Lee within the division, to Texas, for Justin Smoak and three prospects, viewing Smoak -- drafted 11th overall by Texas in 2008 -- as the focal point of the deal, a franchise cornerstone.

Once again, it hasn’t worked out the way Seattle hoped, as Smoak has been a disappointment.

Where are they now: Smoak is Seattle’s starting first baseman, hitting a disappointing .201/.269/.342 on the season, with 13 home runs and 38 RBI. He’s failed to live up to expectations, and, now, with more than 1,000 major-league plate appearances under his belt, it seems the Mariners are running out of patience.

Beavan, drafted 17th overall by Texas in the 2007 draft, was once considered a top prospect, but those days are gone. He’s started 28 games for the Mariners over the last two years, and has a bloated 5.01 ERA. He’s given up 190 hits in 165.1 innings, and doesn’t strike out enough batters to project to be anything more than a back of the rotation starter, if that.

Lawson, 26, is now a member of the Cleveland Indians organization, after Seattle dealt him for left-handed pitcher Aaron Laffey. Lawson’s batting .310/.398/.440 in 32 games with Double-A Akron.

Lueke, now with the Tampa Bay Rays organization after being traded for Jon Jaso, pitched in 25 games for the Mariners in 2011, in relief. He had a 6.06 ERA in 32.2 innings.

Lee, 33, was a rental for the Rangers, and helped Texas reach its first World Series, where he lost both his starts. Still one of the game’s premier pitchers, Lee signed a free agent contract with the Phillies in December 2010.

Lowe, 29, has pitched out of the Rangers bullpen over the past two seasons. In 81 games and 79.1 innings for Texas, Lowe has a 3.52 ERA and a solid 8.2 strikeout rate. He’s currently on the disabled list with a strained right intercostal muscle.