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.

#14 Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud

Coming in at the fourteenth best trade in franchise history we have one of the best steals in recent memory with Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud. This blockbuster trade went down on December 17th, 2012, where the Mets sent reigning Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey, and catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for veteran catcher John Buck, minor league outfielder Wuilmer Becerra, catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud, and pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard.

Dickey was the most successful for the Jays as he went on to pitch in four seasons with an ERA of 4.05 in 824.1 innings while winning a gold glove award in his first season. Nickeas appeared in only one game and did not even receive a plate appearance and Thole played in four seasons where he combined to hit .200/.275/.248/.522 with 2 home runs, and 24 RBI in 170 games.

Becerra has yet to make it past A+ ball and Buck was traded during his first season with the Mets. Buck did have quite the first month for the Mets though as he hit 9 home runs and drove in 25 runs in April before fizzling out and being traded with Marlon Byrd to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league infielder Dilson Herrera and pitcher Vic Black.

The two main pieces the Mets received went on to do a bit better than the other two as they were key pieces to the Mets National League Championship team in 2015. In parts of seven seasons with the Amazins, d’Arnaud went on to hit .242/.303/.401/.704 with 47 home runs and 164 RBI in 407 games with a seventh-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting.

His best season came in 2015 when they won the National League Championship. That season d’Arnaud hit .268/.340/.485/.825 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI in only 67 games played with a 1.5 WAR.

Syndergaard has had a nice career in Queens so far as well. In his five seasons, he has pitched to a 3.31 ERA, with a 1.161 WHIP and 775 strikeouts in 716 innings pitched with a fourth-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting, an All-Star game appearance, an eighth-place finish in Cy Young voting, and a nineteenth place finish in MVP voting. Syndergaard is still under contract for one more season, although he is recovering from Tommy John surgery and not expected back until mid-season, he can still add to his numbers in New York.

His best season came in 2016 where he won 14 games, had a 2.60 ERA, a 1.149 WHIP, and 218 strikeouts in 183.2 innings pitched with a 5.0 WAR. He was also selected to his first All-Star game, had an 8th place finish in Cy Young voting, and a 19th place finish in MVP voting.

Although a relatively small sample size, Syndergaard was clutch for the Mets in the playoffs as well. Between the 2015 playoffs and the 2016 Wild Card game, he had a 2.42 ERA, a 1.077 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 26 postseason innings. Although the Mets ended up losing the game, his 2016 Wild Card game was the most impressive as it saw him pitch 7 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the San Francisco Giants.

d’Arnaud and Syndergaard have both had great impacts on the Mets in their careers. Helping the Mets reach the World Series in 2015 and the Wild Card game in 2016 would not have been made possible without them. With the Mets giving up essentially just Dickey who was never the same after winning the Cy Young award, this was easily one of the best trades in Mets franchise history.

#13 Jesse Orosco

Coming in at the thirteenth best trade in Mets franchise history is the acquisition of the man on the mound for the last out of the 1986 World Series in Jesse Orosco. On February 7th, 1979, Orosco was sent to the Mets as “a player to be named later” to complete an earlier deal that saw the Mets receive minor league pitcher Greg Field from the Minnesota Twins and a player to be named later for pitcher Jerry Koosman.

Koosman had just spent twelve great seasons with the Mets and went on to pitch two and a half seasons for the Twins. In his two and half years with the Twins, Koosman won 39 games with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.337 WHIP in 601.1 innings with a sixth-place finish in Cy Young voting.

Field never ended up pitching for the Mets and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Orosco went on to be a huge piece for the Mets over the next eight seasons. In those eight seasons, he put up a 2.73 ERA, a 1.209 WHIP, had 107 saves, pitched 595.2 innings over 372 games, and won a World Series.

Orosco’s best year with the Mets came in 1983 when was selected to his first of two All-Star games, had a 1.47 ERA, won 13 games, had a 1.036 WHIP, logged 110 innings, saved 17 games, finished in third-place for Cy Young voting, and had a seventeenth place finish in MVP voting with a 3.8 WAR.

Orosco’s main name to fame comes as previously stated, being the man on the mound for the last out of the 1986 World Series. Aside from being on the mound for the last out, Orosco was great the rest of the postseason too. In the NLCS he pitched to a 3.38 ERA, had a 0.875 WHIP, and had 10 strikeouts in 8 innings. In the World Series, he was even better not allowing a run in 5.2 innings, pitching to a 0.353 WHIP, and striking out 6 batters while not allowing any walks.

Orosco’s great stretch in Queens currently has him with the third-best ERA in franchise history, sixth-most games by a pitcher, fourth-most saves, and fifth-best batting average against.

Although the Mets did give up one of their best pitches in their history with Koosman, he was never truly the same player once leaving Queens. The Mets were able to receive a key piece to their team and franchise over eight years which helped them win a World Series. As a result, the Mets acquisition of Orsosco finds itself as the thirteenth best trade in franchise history.

#12 Johan Santana

Next up on the list of best trades in franchise history, we have left-handed starting pitcher Johan Santana. On February 2nd, 2008, the Mets acquired their new ace from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for young outfielder Carlos Gomez, minor league pitchers Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey, and pitcher Philip Humber.

Most would think that at least one out of the four players sent to the Twins would either play relatively well for them or serve as a solid trade piece. Well, this is the rare scenario where none of these players did anything great for the Twins.

Guerra never pitched in a game for the Twins and Mulvey gave up 4 runs in 1.1 innings before being traded for future Met pitcher Jon Rauch who only pitched a year and a half for the Twins. Although Rauch did have a 2.82 ERA in 73.1 innings it will take more than that to save the Twins here.

Humber only pitched 20.2 innings and had an ERA over six before becoming a free agent. Gomez only ended up playing in two seasons where he hit .248/.293/.352/.645 with 10 home runs, 87 RBI, and 47 stolen bases in 290 games. Gomez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for shortstop J.J. Hardy who only played one season for the Twins, and just like Rauch, his minimal time there was not enough to save the Twins for the poor production they got from the trade with the Mets.

Despite Santana’s Mets career being cut short due to multiple injuries, he had an incredible run for the few years he was healthy. He ended up only pitching in four seasons, with his last one being cut short to injury, but had great numbers as a whole. In his four seasons, he was selected to an All-Star game, finished third in Cy Young voting, finished fourteenth in MVP voting, won 46 games, had a 3.18 ERA, and a 1.201 WHIP in 717 innings.

Santana’s best season was his first one in 2008 where he won 16 games, led the league with a 2.53 ERA, had a 1.148 WHIP, and led the league with 234.1 innings pitched while finishing third in Cy Young voting and fourteenth in MVP voting with a 7.1 WAR.

Although Santana never got to pitch in the postseason while in Queens, he was still extremely clutch for the Amazins. On the second to last day of the season in 2008, Santana pitched on three days rest to help keep the Mets playoffs hopes alive. He ended up pitching a complete game shutout to keep the Mets season alive going into the last day of the season. A week later it was revealed that he even pitched that day with a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Santana’s clutch gene stayed with him for years when he made history on June 1st, 2012, by throwing the first and only no-hitter in franchise history. Santana was coming off major shoulder surgery from the season prior and had a pitch limit, although that was overlooked that day as he and the Mets had history on their mind. Even though that game could single-handily be the result for ruining the rest of his career as he threw a career-high in pitches coming off major shoulder surgery, it is still the only no-hitter in Mets history.

Although Santana’s stint with the Mets was relatively short-lived, he made the most of it when he was on the field. He was able to give the Mets a true ace and provided the first and only no-hitter in franchise history. The Mets gave up next to nothing for Santana and were given a stretch of incredible pitching including their only no-hitter, resulting in the twelfth best trade in franchise history.

#11 John Franco

Coming in at the eleventh best trade in franchise history for the Mets we have left-handed closing pitcher John Franco. On December 6th, 1989, the Mets acquired Franco with minor league outfielder Don Brown from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitchers Kip Gross and Randy Myers.

Gross and Myers both ended up pitching two seasons for the Reds, and two pretty good ones at that. Gross pitched 92 innings for the Reds to a 3.52 ERA and a 1.533 WHIP. Myers logged 218.2 innings with a 2.96 ERA, a 1.340 WHIP, and 37 saves while being selected to the All-Star game, a fifth-place finish in Cy Young voting and a seventeenth place finish in MVP voting. Gross and Myers were both traded again after their two years for the Reds.

Unlike Gross and Myers, Franco went on to have a long stay with his new team. Franco ended up playing in New York for fourteen seasons. In those fourteen seasons, Franco pitched to a 3.10 ERA, a 1.365 WHIP, had 276 saves over 702.2 innings, was selected to an All-Star game, finished seventh in Cy Young voting one season and 20th in MVP voting that year as well.

Brown never ended up making the majors, but Franco made up for that.

Over fourteen seasons with the Mets, Franco combined for a 3.10 ERA, a 1.365 WHIP, and 276 saves over 702.2 innings pitched with an All-Star game appearance, a seventh-place finish in Cy Young voting, and a 20th place finish in MVP voting.

Franco’s best season came in 1992 where he had a 1.64 ERA, a 1.061 WHIP, and 15 saves in 33 innings with a 1.7 WAR.

Between the 1999 and 2000 postseasons, Franco’s overall numbers were pretty solid despite a few shaky appearances. In five different series between the two playoff appearances, he had a 1.88 ERA with a 0.977 WHIP over 14.1 innings.

Despite Franco having been rocky at times with getting himself in trouble with walks specifically, his overall numbers make it able to look past that. He is first in franchise history for games played by a pitcher, eighth in ERA, and first in saves. Franco was also named the third captain in history while with the Amazins.

Even though the Mets gave up two pretty good pitchers for Franco, the legacy he left in New York made up for it. He gave the Mets a consistent arm coming out of the bullpen to save games for fourteen years and is one of only four captains in franchise history. All of this results in the Mets trade for John Franco as the eleventh best trade in franchise history.

#9 Ron Darling

Next up we have another starting pitcher on the 1986 World Series Champion staff with Ron Darling. On April 1st, 1982 the Mets acquired Darling and pitcher Walt Terrell from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Lee Mazzilli.

Mazzilli only played half a year for the Rangers before they sent him to the New York Yankees. He was then traded again that offseason to the Pittsburgh Pirates who released him a few years later, resulting in the Mets signing him back. The few months that Mazzilli did play in Texas was not all that impressive either. He hit .241/.339/.344/.683 with 4 home runs, 17 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 58 games.

Terrell pitched in three seasons for the Mets before they traded him to the Detroit Tigers for Howard Johnson. In Terrell’s three seasons in Queens, he combined for a 3.53 ERA and a 1.423 WHIP in 369.2 innings pitched.

Terrell’s best season in New York was his last one in 1984. He had a 3.52 ERA, a 1.451 WHIP, started 33 games with 215 innings pitched, and had a 2.1 WAR.

Although Terrell had a couple of seasons with the Mets, Darling was the prize in the trade. He pitched in eight and a half seasons and did not disappoint. In his time for the Amazins, he went on to win 99 games, have a 3.50 ERA, a 1.288 WHIP, log 1,620 innings, finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, fifth in Cy Young voting, had an All-Star game appearance, won a gold glove, and a World Series Championship.

Darling’s best season came in the 1986 World Series Championship year. That season he won 15 games, pitched to a 2.81 ERA, a 1.198 WHIP, had a fifth-place finish in Cy Young voting, and tossed 237 innings with a 4.6 WAR.

In addition to Darling’s stellar season in 1986, he came through in the clutch. In the world Series, he started three out of the seven games with a 1.53 ERA and a 1.302 WHIP over 17.2 innings.

Darling was a key piece to the Mets during the winning seasons in the mid to late ’80s. Although the Mets only made the postseason twice in that span, Darling was a huge part of the team staying close and fun to watch.

Darling currently has the fourth most wins and innings pitched in franchise history, the ninth most complete games, sixth-most shutouts, and the seventh most strikeouts. Although the Mets gave up a young talented outfielder in Mazzilli, he was never the same once leaving New York. The Mets were able to get one of their best pitchers in franchise history and a key piece to a championship team for next to nothing. As a result of Darling’s success and Mazzilli’s struggles, this trade finds itself as the ninth-best trade in franchise history.

#8 Sid Fernandez

Coming in at the eighth-best trade in franchise history is another member of the 1986 starting rotation in Sid Fernandez. On December 8th, 1983, the Mets acquired Fernandez and infielder Ross Jones from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for utility man Bob Bailor and pitcher Carlos Diaz.

Bailor only played in two seasons for the Dodgers and was nothing special. He hit .261/.295/.297/.592 with no home runs, only 15 RBI, 19 runs scored and 4 stolen bases over 139 games played. Diaz only appeared in three seasons for the Dodgers and had a respectable 3.71 ERA with a 1.366 WHIP over 145.2 innings pitched.

As for the Mets return, Jones did next to nothing in the handful of games he played before being released. He played in 17 games where he had only 1 hit in 10 at-bats with 1 RBI.

Fernandez was the highlight of the deal as he was the only one to produce following the trade. He stayed in New York for ten years and put up great numbers. He pitched to a 3.14 ERA, a 1.113 WHIP, won 98 games, pitched 1,584.2 innings, made 2 All-Star teams, finished 7th in Cy Young Voting, and won a World Series.

Fernandez’s best season came in 1992. That season he had a 2.73 ERA, a 1.067 WHIP, won 14 games, threw 5 complete games, 2 shutouts, and pitched 214.2 innings with a 6.1 WAR.

In addition to Fernandez being great in the regular season over his career with the Mets, he came through when needed in the 1986 World Series. In the fall classic, he appeared in three games where he pitched 6.2 innings to a 1.35 ERA, a 1.050 WHIP, and struck out 10 batters to only 1 walk.

Fernandez currently has the best Mets single-season batting average against, is currently fifth in wins and innings pitched in franchise history, has the eighth-most shutouts, fourth in strikeouts and WHIP, and has the second-best batting average against. The productivity Fernandez put up while playing for the Mets is clearly Amazin’ and as a result of his great production, his positive impact on a World Series team, and the minimum the Mets gave up for him, the transaction to acquire him finds itself as the eighth-best trade in franchise history.

#7 Howard Johnson

Up next on the Mets best trades in franchise history we have another member of the 1986 World Series Championship team, this time an infielder in Howard Johnson. On December 7th, 1984, the Mets acquired Johnson from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for pitcher Walt Terrell, who the Mets received with Ron Darling as previously mentioned.

Terrell put up respectable numbers while in Detroit, but he was never quite as good as the few seasons he was in New York. He pitched in four seasons for Detroit before being traded away, although he did return back to the Tigers a few years later for another two and a half seasons. In his first time with the Tigers, he pitched over 200 innings each season and had an ERA ranging from 3.85 to 4.56.

Johnson got off to a bit of a slow start in his first two seasons for the Mets despite winning a World Series in his second year. He ended up playing in nine different seasons and was fantastic overall. Over his nine seasons, he hit .251/.341/.459/.801 with 192 home runs, 629 RBI, 202 stolen bases, 627 runs scored, multiple 30/30 seasons, 2 All-Star game selections, 2 Silver Slugger awards, 2 fifth-place finishes in MVP voting, and a tenth place finish in MVP voting.

Johnson’s best season came in 1989 where he hit .287/.369/.559/.928 with 36 home runs, 101 RBI, 41 stolen bases, a league-leading 104 runs scored, an All-Star game selection, a Silver Slugger award, and a fifth-place finish in MVP voting with a 6.9 WAR.

Although Johnson was never great with the glove, he made up for it with the bat. He is currently seventh in games played for position players in franchise history, fourth in runs scored, home runs, walks, and RBI, tenth in hits, fifth in doubles, and third in stolen bases.

With the Mets not giving up a whole lot with Terrell, this makes the acquisition of Johnson all that much better in addition to his solid production. The Mets got a key player and bat to their team for multiple years and someone who is at the top of most offensive categories in franchise history by giving up Terrell who was never great with the Tigers. As a result, the trade for Johnson finds itself as the seventh-best trade in franchise history.

#6 Yoenis Cespedes

Up next on the list we have a man who ran into some off-field issues and unfortunately seems to be remembered for that and not the great production he had when on the field in outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. On July 31st, 2015, the Mets acquired Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor league pitchers Luis Cessa and Michael Fulmer.

Cessa never played a game for the Tigers and was traded that offseason with pitcher Chad Green to the New York Yankees for future Met Justin Wilson. Fulmer got off to a nice start with the Tigers winning the Rookie of the Year award that next season while finishing tenth in Cy Young voting. Fulmer has not been the same since that season although he was named to the All-Star team the next season.

Fulmer ended up having his 2018 season cut short to a torn meniscus and the 2019 season to Tommy John surgery. In his four seasons, he has combined for a 4.09 ERA and a 1.238 WHIP over 483.2 innings pitched.

As for the Mets return with Cespedes, he put the team on his back once arriving in New York and carried them to their first postseason birth in nine years. Down the stretch in 2015 Cespedes hit .287/.337/.604/.942 with 17 home runs, 44 RBI, 66 hits, and 39 runs scored in only 57 games played with an incredible 2.1 WAR. Cespedes ended up finishing the year thirteenth in MVP voting in the national league which is extremely impressive since only his stats from the Mets counted, which is roughly a third of a season.

Cespedes ended up playing parts of five seasons with the Mets and was great when on the field. He slashed .279/.344/.539/.833 with 76 home runs, 205 RBI, and 180 runs scored in 316 games played with an All-Star game appearance, a silver slugger award, an eighth-place finish in MVP voting and a thirteenth place finish in MVP voting.

Cespedes’ best season following his 2015 stretch was his first full season with the team in 2016. He hit .280/.354/.530/.884 with 31 home runs, 86 RBI, and 72 runs in 132 games played with a 3.0 WAR while being selected to the All-Star game, winning a silver slugger, and finishing eighth in MVP voting.

Once the postseason came around Cespedes did slow down a little but was a big reason the Mets made it to the World Series. In the NLDS he hit 2 home runs, had 4 RBI, and scored 4 runs in the five-game series. In the NLCS he hit .286 with 3 RBI, a stolen base, and 2 runs scored in the four games.

Cespedes is currently second in slugging and fourth in OPS in franchise history. Although Cespedes’ time was not always pretty in New York and the highs of it did not last as long as most would have hoped, it is hard to ignore the impact he had when arriving. Cespedes took a Mets team with one of the worst offensives in the league, put them on his back, and carried the team to their first postseason in nine years and first World Series in fifteen years.

#5 Tommie Agee

As we crack into the top five trades in Mets franchise history, we land on one of the most important pieces to the Mets first World Series in 1969 with outfielder Tommie Agee. On December 15th, 1967, the Mets acquired Agee and infielder Al Weis from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for catcher Buddy Booker, outfielder Tommy Davis, and pitchers Billy Wynne and Jack Fisher.

Fisher only played one season with the White Sox before being dealt the following offseason to the Cincinnati Reds. In his lone season for the Sox, he had a 2.99 ERA and a 1.240 WHIP over 180.2 innings pitched. Wynne pitched in three seasons for Chicago before he was traded to the then California Angels. In those three seasons, he combined for a 4.38 ERA and a 1.563 WHIP over 174.2 innings pitched.

Booker only appeared in 5 games for the White Sox in which he went 0 for 5. Just like Fisher, Davis only lasted one season in Chicago before being drafted by the Seattle Pilots who were an expansion team, eventually becoming the Milwaukee Brewers. In his one season, Davis hit .268/289/.344/.633 with 8 home runs, 50 RBI, and 122 hits over 132 games played.

For the Mets return, Weis ended up playing four years, which included the 1969 World Series Championship team. Over his four seasons, he hit .191/.245/.253/.498 with 4 home runs and 49 RBI over 279 games played. Despite his not-so-great hitting over his four seasons, he was a big part of the World Series win which saw him hit .455 with 1 home run and 3 RBI over 5 games.

Onto the meat and potatoes of the trade, we have Agee. Agee spent five seasons with the Mets and was a big part of the team while there. Over his five seasons, he went on to hit .262/.329/.419/.748 with 82 home runs, 265 RBI, 92 stolen bases, and 344 runs scored over 661 games played with a gold glove, a nineteenth place finish in MVP voting, and a sixth-place finish in MVP voting over 661 games played.

Agee’s best season came in 1970 where he slashed .286/.344/.469/.812 with 24 home runs, 75 RBI, 31 stolen bases, 107 runs scored, and 182 hits over 153 games played with a 5.4 WAR.

Agee did not disappoint in the playoffs either. In the 1969 NLCS, he hit .357/.438/.857/1.295 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 2 stolen bases, and 4 runs scored in only three games. He did take a step back in the World Series, but he still hit a home run and made two incredible catches in one game to help the Mets secure the win.

When it came to defense, Agee was great there as well. His combined total zone total fielding runs above average over his five seasons in New York was 16. His best season was in 1970 when he won a gold glove with his total zone fielding runs above average was 12.

Even though Agee only played in five seasons for the Mets, he made the most of it. He was a huge impact both offensively and defensively and helped the Mets win their first World Series in franchise history. With the Mets not having given up a whole lot and receiving a key piece to their first World Series Championship team who ended up being one of the best center fielders the team has had, this trade finds itself as the fifth-best in franchise history.

#4 Donn Clendenon

Coming in as the fourth-best trade in franchise history we have another key piece to the 1969 World Series Championship team in first baseman Donn Clendenon. On June 15th, 1969, the Mets acquired Clendenon from the Montreal Expos in exchange for minor league pitchers Steve Renko, Jay Carden, and David Colon, minor league infielder Terry Dailey, and infielder Kevin Collins.

Carden, Colon, and Dailey all never ended up playing a game for the Expos. Collins only lasted half a season before he was purchased by the Detroit Tigers. In his half-season with the Expos, he hit .240/.292/.375/.667 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI in 52 games played.

The only player that had a real impact on the Expos in their return was Renko. He pitched in part of eight seasons and combined for a 3.90 ERA and a 1.387 WHIP over 1,359.1 innings pitched.

As for the Mets return, they got a man who was essentially the final piece to the team to put them over the top. Clendenon only played in two and a half seasons with the Mets but was one of the most important pieces in those few years. In his two and half seasons he hit .267/.328/.469/.797 with 45 home runs, 171 RBI, 125 runs scored, and had a thirteenth place finish in MVP voting over 281 games played.

In the half-season Clendenon spent with the Mets in 1969, he hit .252/.321/.455/.777 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI in 72 games as he split games at first base with Ed Kranepool.

His best season came the year after being acquired. In 1970 Clendenon went on to hit .288/.348/.515/863 with 22 home runs, 97 RBI, and 65 runs scored in 121 games played with a 3.0 WAR and a thirteenth place finish in MVP voting.

Clendenon really made a name for himself for Mets fans and Mets history when they made it to the World Series in 1969. In the World Series, he hit .357/.438/1.071/1.509 with 3 home runs, 4 RBI, and 4 runs scored in four games played while being awarded World Series MVP.

Although Clendenon’s time with the Mets was a lot shorter than others, he made the most of his time. He was a key piece in bringing home the first World Series Championship in franchise history both down the stretch in the regular season and winning World Series MVP. The Mets only gave up one player who would go onto have any decent success in the Majors for Clendenon who helped propel them to their first World Series, resulting in the acquisition of Clendenon being the fourth-best trade in Mets franchise history.

#3 Keith Hernandez

As we arrive at the three best trades in franchise history, you can make an argument for them to be in any rearranged order they were all that great and impactful. With that being said, the third-best trade in Mets franchise history is the acquisition of first baseman Keith Hernandez. On June 15th, 1983, the Mets acquired Hernandez from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.

Allen pitched in parts of three different seasons before being purchased by the New York Yankees. Over those three and a half seasons, he pitched to a 3.84 ERA, a 1.383 WHIP, and had 20 wins over 269.2 innings pitched.

Ownbey only played in two seasons for the Cardinals before becoming a free agent and ultimately never playing again. In those two seasons, he combined for a 4.09 ERA and 1.573 WHIP over 61.2 innings pitched.

As for the Mets return, they got one of the most important players in the history of their franchise with Hernandez. Hernandez played six and a half seasons for the Amazin’s and was exactly that. He combined to hit .297/.387/.429/.816 with 80 home runs, 468 RBI, 939 hits, and 455 runs scored over 880 games played with 5 gold gloves, 3 All-Star game appearances, a silver slugger award, and a second, fourth, and an eighth-place finish in MVP voting.

His best season came in his first full season for the Mets in 1984. Hernandez went on to slash .311/.409/.449/.859 with 15 home runs, 94 RBI, 171 hits, and 83 runs scored in 154 games played with a 6.3 WAR while being sent to the All-Star game, winning a gold glove award, a silver slugger award, and a second-place finish in MVP voting.

In addition to Hernandez’s great hitting, he was one of the best fielding first basemen the game has seen as he went on to win five gold gloves in six seasons for the Mets. In those six seasons, Hernandez went on to have a combined total zone total fielding runs above average of 52. His best season came in 1985 where his total zone fielding runs above average was 14.

Hernandez proved to be one of the most important pieces to the 1986 World Series Championship team and for the franchise during his time in New York. He currently has the tenth most RBI, sixth-most walks, and is fourth in batting average and on-base percentage in addition to being just outside of the top ten in many other offensive categories.

With the Mets only giving up two pitchers who only played a few seasons with the Cardinals and were not anything special, the trade to acquire Hernandez finds itself as the third-best in franchise history with the minimal amount given up and the impact he had on the franchise.

#2 Gary Carter

Coming in at the number two spot we have who is looked at as the “missing piece” to the 1986 World Series Championship team with the “Kid”, catcher Gary Carter. On December 10th, 1984, the Mets acquired Carter from the Montreal Expos in exchange for infielder Hubie Brooks, catcher Mike Fitzgerald, outfielder Herm Winningham, and minor league pitcher Floyd Youmans.

Brooks went on to be the best of the four that went to the Expos. He played five seasons for them and hit .279/.322/.441/.762 with 75 home runs, 390 RBI, and 689 hits over 647 games played while being selected to two All-Star games, winning two silver sluggers, and finishing fourteenth in MVP voting.

Fitzgerald was nothing special for the Expos but still ended up playing seven seasons for them. In those seven seasons, he went on to hit .238/.331/.359/.690 with 39 home runs, 241 RBI, ad 180 runs scored over 633 games played.

Winningham played in three and a half seasons before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds. In those three and a half seasons he hit .233/.300/.331/630 with 11 home runs, 79 RBI, 65 stolen bases, and 97 runs scored over 399 games played.

The last man the Expose got in return, Youmans, played in four seasons before being dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies. In those four seasons, he went on to pitch to a 3.57 ERA, a 1.275 WHIP and won 29 games over 496.1 innings.

Onto the Mets return, they got the missing piece to their Championship caliber team when they acquired Carter. Carter ended up playing five seasons for the Amazin’s in which he combined to hit .249/.319/.412/.731 with 89 home runs, 349 RBI, and 272 runs scored over 600 games while being selected to four All-Star games, being awarded two silver slugger awards, and a third and sixth-place finish in MVP voting.

His best season came in his first one in 1985. He went on to hit .281/.365/.488/.853 with a career-high 32 home runs, 100 RBI, and 83 runs scored in 149 games played with a 6.9 WAR and an All-Star game appearance, a silver slugger award, and a sixth-place finish in MVP voting.

Although Carter’s defense was nothing to drool over, he did give the Mets average defense all over the diamond. He appeared in games at catcher, first base, third base, and both corner outfield positions during his time in Flushing.

When it came to the big stage, Carter did not disappoint. In the 1986 World Series, he was a huge part of the team’s success by hitting .276 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI over the seven game series.

Carter is easily one of the most important players in the history of the New York Mets. He was the player that helped propel the Mets to the next level in 1986 to win it all. The previous two seasons the Mets had won 90+ games but failed to reach the playoffs each year. Although the Mets did give a couple of good players for Carter, it worked out very well for them as Carter put them over the top and allowed them to win their second World Championship, resulting in the second-best trade in franchise history.

#1 Mike Piazza

Coming in at number one for the best trade in franchise history, we have Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza. On May 22nd, 1998 the Mets acquired Piazza from the Florida Marlins in exchange for minor league pitchers Geoff Goetz and Ed Yarnall, and outfielder Preston Wilson.

Goetz never ended up making the major leagues and Yarnall was traded the following offseason to the New York Yankees before reaching the Major Leagues as well.

Preston went on to have a couple of solid seasons with the Marlins before they traded him to the Colorado Rockies. He played in four and a half seasons with the Marlins and combined to hit .262/.333/.473/.806 with 104 home runs, 329 RBI, 87 stolen bases, and 315 runs scored over 588 games played with a second-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting, an All-Star game selection, and a sixteenth place finish in MVP voting.

As for the Mets return, they got the best home run hitting catcher in baseball history. Piazza played seven and a half years with the Mets and did not disappoint. In those seven and a half seasons, he combined to hit .296/.373/.542/.915 with 220 home runs, 655 RBI, and 532 runs scored over 972 games played with seven All-Star game selections, five silver slugger awards, and a fourteenth, thirteenth, seventh, and third-place finish in MVP voting.

Piazza’s best season by WAR was actually in 1998 where he only played in 109 games for the Mets once being traded for. In those 109 games, Piazza hit .348/.417/.607/1.024 with 23 home runs, 76 RBI, 137 hits, and 67 runs scored with a 5.4 WAR whiling being selected to an All-Star game, winning a silver slugger award, and finishing fourteenth in MVP voting.

His best full season in New York came two years later in 2000. That season he went on to hit .324/.398/.614/1.012 with 38 home runs, 113 RBI, 156 hits, and 90 runs scored in only 136 games played with 5.1 WAR, an All-Star game selection, a silver slugger award, and a third-place finish in MVP voting.

Although Piazza never won a World Series, he did everything he could when he arrived in his lone World Series in 2000. In the World Series, he hit .273 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 6 hits, and 3 runs scored in the five games.

Even though Piazza never won a World Series with the Mets like many others acquired via trade, he did make it to a World Series and is the only one to be inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Met. The Mets only gave up one real solid player but what they got in return with Piazza was far better.

He is currently tenth all-time in runs scored in Mets history, eighth in hits and doubles, third in home runs and RBI, seventh in batting average and on-base percentage, first in slugging percentage, and second in OPS. He is also tied for the Mets single-season record for RBI, has the best single-season OPS in Mets history, and would have the best slugging percentage if not for Dominic Smith’s shortened 2020 season.

During Piazza’s time in New York, he truly cemented himself as one of the game’s best hitters. Piazza is right at the top of about every offensive category in franchise history, the only player acquired by trade to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Met, and hit arguably the most important home run in franchise history in the first game back following the 9/11 attacks.

A couple of players that were close but just missed out on this list include pitchers David Cone, Al Leiter, Zack Wheeler, Addison Reed, and first baseman Carlos Delgado. If these guys could have stuck around for a few more seasons, had slightly better years, or helped lead their teams to a World Series run they could have found themselves on this list.

The Mets have acquired some of their best and most important players in their history via trade. Multiple guys who helped them win a World Series, All-Stars, gold glovers, silver sluggers, future Hall of Famers, and all-around great players in general.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

What do you think the best trade in Mets franchise history is?