Mets History Diving: When was the last time there was no ex-Yankee on the roster?

A large number of former New York Yankees have found their way to the New York Mets. When was the last time the Amazins didn’t have a former Bomber on the roster?

Curtis Granderson’s recent retirement had me thinking: when was the last time there was no former New York Yankees player on the New York Mets roster?

To find the answer, I started off by researching the files in my own mind.

In 2020, we’ll see Dellin Betances pitch for the Mets. We can quickly cross this upcoming year off the list unless the unthinkable happens and Betances never takes the field for the Amazins. The only other team Betances has ever suited up for was the one up in The Bronx.

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Before Betances, we were treated to two years of Todd Frazier in 2018 and 2019. Frazier wrapped up the 2017 season as a member of the Yankees, taking care of these two seasons.

This already brings us back to Granderson. He covers the 2014-2017 Mets with a former Yankees player. Heading back to 2013 now, I need to dive a little deeper into the team’s history.

Back in 2013, the Mets actually had a large number of players who had one point suited up for the Yankees.

Some would eventually find their way to The Bronx in the future. For the sake of this research project, let’s just limit it to guys who already wore the pinstripes.

David Aardsma, LaTroy Hawkins, Sean Henn, and Aaron Laffey all cover this year. Can you blame me for not remembering their stints with either New York team?

Taking the DeLorean back one more year, we arrive in 2012. And that’s where we find our answer. The 2012 team didn’t have a single former Yankees player on the roster.

In the first year where the Mets were official in a rebuild following the previous summer’s Carlos Beltran trade, the 2012 campaign went down as one most fans would prefer to forget. Other than a Johan Santana no-hitter, it was a season worth hitting the fast-forward button on.

It makes sense why this was the year no former Yankees found their way to Flushing. This was a roster filled with younger players. In the years after, plenty of veterans were switching New York baseball clubs and taking the 7-Line over to Citi Field.

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With Robinson Cano under contract for several more seasons, the answer to the question I proposed at the beginning doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon. The 2012 team is the last to feature zero former Yankees.