New York Mets: 15 best trades the franchise has ever made

The New York Mets have made some spectacular trades in their history. Some of their most important players in franchise history have been acquired by trade. Let’s take a look at the top fifteen trades in Mets franchise history.

Just like every other sports franchise, the New York Mets have made some great trades in their history. Many of the team’s most important franchise pieces have been acquired via trade. The Mets have acquired future Hall of Famers, gold glovers, All-Stars, Silver Sluggers, and many other award-winning players by trade.

The Mets have also acquired star players for virtually nothing in addition to swapping good players for other good players. Many of their top players acquired have had significant impacts on Championship teams and National League Pennant winners.

Looking at the impact players had on teams, a great stretch of individual seasons, what was given up, and rankings on Mets all-time leader lists are all things to consider when looking at the best Mets trades in their history.

With the Mets just making a blockbuster trade for superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor and veteran starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, it has the potential to be one of the best trades the Mets have made. It has already been linked to having the same impact as some on this list. Although way too early to tell, it is quite promising to have a trade be compared to the acquisitions of some of the best players to put on the orange and blue.

Only time will tell where the trade for Lindor and Carrasco could potentially land on this list. Hopefully, in a couple of years, we can look back at this list and add the acquisition of Lindor and Carrasco to it. In the meantime, we can only wait and hope.

Let’s look at the best fifteen trades in Mets franchise history.

#15 John Olerud

Starting off the list we have one of the best hitters the Mets have had in their history with first baseman John Olerud. Olerud was acquired by the Mets on December 20th, 1996 from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for pitcher Robert Person.

Person went on to have an ERA of 6.18 and a 1.553 WHIP in 177.2 innings over three years for Toronto. Olerud on the other hand went on to do some great things for the Amazins.

By acquiring Olerud, the Mets got one of the best hitters in the league and a piece of “The Best Infield Ever.” Now while proving this statement to be true is more opinion-based, there was a Sports Illustrated cover of the Mets 1999 infield which included Olerud.

Olerud ended up playing three seasons in New York and he did not disappoint. He helped the team reach the NLCS in 1999, finished 12th in MVP voting in 1998, and set the franchise single-season batting average record at .354. In his three seasons, he combined to hit .315/.425/.501/.926 with 63 home runs, 291 RBI, and 288 runs scored in 476 games played.

His best season came in 1998 when he hit .354/.447/.551/.998 with 22 home runs, 93 RBI, 92 runs scored, and 197 hits in 160 games played with a 7.6 WAR while finishing twelfth in MVP voting.

Although the Mets fell short in the postseason in 1999, Olerud did everything he could to try and carry the team. In the NLDS he hit .438/.526./.625/.1.151 with 1 home run, 6 RBI, and 3 runs scored in 4 games. In the NLCS he hit .296/.345/.519/.863 with 2 home runs, 6 RBI, and 4 runs scored in 6 games.

In addition to Olerud’s great hitting, he brought one of the best gloves around. In his three seasons in Flushing, he combined total zone total fielding runs above average (the total number of runs below or above average a player was worth based on the number of plays made) was 31 runs. His best season was in 1998 where he had 15.

Olerud’s production while in New York was great no doubt about it. The Mets gave up virtually nothing for him and clearly won the trade as a result. He currently has the best single-season batting average, on-base percentage, and walk total in Mets franchise history, in addition to the third-best average in franchise history overall, the best on-base percentage, sixth-best slugging percentage, and best OPS in franchise history. Between the Mets giving up next to nothing and the production Olerud brought to Queens, this makes the Olerud trade one of the best in franchise history.