Other than trading Mookie & Price (and Beni to a lesser degree), we don 't trade stars away near the end of the control years, either.
That was a doozie, but had we traded Bogey, JD, Nate, Sale (earlier), JT, Duvall, Wacha, ERod and others, we'd have a better looking roster, right now.
The idea, I believe, was to be like the Rays but to have the ability to keep some of the stars longer or to be able to sign more FAs to plug holes.
Trading stars before they decline is an art form that is usually met with disdain by the fanbase.
The Rays have countless examples of adding players who have career years and then letting them go, quickly and usually just in time.
Look how Bloom was roasted for trading Betts. Imagine the climate, if he had traded Bogey, Nate, JD and others for more than lousy comp picks.