3 Mets players traded away before they ever played a game for the team

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Charles Johnson was acquired by the New York Mets in a trade and then dealt away on the same day. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule Jr. /Allsp /

When does one officially become a member of the New York Mets? Some say it’s when they suffer their first ridiculous injury. Others claim it’s when there’s some kind of controversy that has nothing to do with the actual game itself.

Whatever makes someone a member of the Mets organization, some last much longer than others. These three players acquired via trade were sent packing quickly.

How fast were they flipped to another team? So quickly there was probably never even a uniform sewn for them.

Charles Johnson was traded to the Mets on 12/1/1998 and traded that same day to the Baltimore Orioles

True story: my dad once had his car break down on the highway and to help pay for the tow truck he gave the driver a bat signed by Charles Johnson. An excellent fielding catcher who turned into a pretty good hitter as well, Johnson was one of the early stars on the Florida Marlins.

After missing the 1998 postseason, the Mets were eager to make sure they wouldn’t skip out on the playoffs again in 1999. They got off to an awesome start on December 1 with a flurry of moves. One brought Johnson and Roger Cedeno from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Arnie Gooch and Todd Hundley.

Johnson had already been involved in a trade back in May of that year which had a few future and former Mets involved in it. On May 14, 1998, the Marlins traded him to the Dodgers with Manuel Barrios, Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, and Jim Eisenreich. The Marlins landed Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile in the deal. Any of those names sound familiar?

Johnson’s time with the Mets didn’t last long as they already had Piazza signed long-term. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles the same day he was acquired. In return, the Mets found their new closer, Armando Benitez.

I don’t think there’s much to do debate about this actual trade because of how secure the Mets were at Johnson’s position. Even if he did go on to have success thereafter and eventually rejoined the Marlins in 2001, this was merely a move to get something from the Dodgers so they could then acquire something else from the Orioles.

30 Apr 1998: Infielder Joe Randa of the Detroit Tigers in action during a game against the Texas Rangers at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Rangers 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport /

Joe Randa was traded to the Mets on 12/4/1998 and traded away to the Kansas City Royals on 12/10/1998

I already mentioned how active the Mets were after the 1998 season. Coming as close as they did without making the postseason will do that to a team. Just a few days after acquiring Johnson and then flipping him for a closer, the team made a not-so-successful move. This one began with the Mets acquiring third baseman Joe Randa from the Detroit Tigers for Willie Blair.

Randa would never see the field as a member of the Mets. Less than a week later, the Mets traded him to the Kansas City Royals, the team he debuted with, for Juan LeBron. Mr. LeBron was anything like the NBA star that has the rights to the name. He never made it to the major leagues.

Randa, on the other hand, would hit over .300 in the next two seasons and continued playing in the major leagues through the 2006 season. He didn’t really have much of a purpose on the Mets heading in 1999 with Robin Ventura already on the roster. The Mets must have really liked LeBron to make this trade.

The other part of this trade, Blair, wouldn’t have much success in Detroit. Working as a starter and reliever, he went 3-11 with a 6.85 ERA in 1999.

Outfielder David Justice of the New York Yankees stretches during batting practice 23 October 2000 at Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadows, NY. The Yankees lead the New York Mets 2-0 in the World Series with game three on 24 October 2000. AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo by JEFF HAYNES / AFP) (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /

David Justice was traded to the Mets on 12/7/2001 and traded away to the Oakland Athletics on 12/14/2001

David Justice was a star in the 1990s and not just because he was married to Halle Berry. His resume includes a Rookie of the Year, a pair of 40+ home run seasons, and three seasons of reaching 100+ RBI.

What you may not remember fondly is how well Justice played for the Mets. That’s because a week after he was acquired by the team in a rare deal with the New York Yankees, Justice was shuttled out of town.

Justice was traded from the Bronx to Flushing in exchange for Robin Ventura. Shortly after, he was traded yet again. This time, he ended up with the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Mark Guthrie and Tyler Yates.

Justice would go on to have a productive year for the Athletics team made famous by the film Moneyball. Probably the least-profiled trade of his career among the previous three deals, I wonder what kind of season he could have had with the Mets. I think he could have been a real fan favorite even if it was only for the 2002 season.

The trade wasn’t such a bad one for the Mets. Guthrie was 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA out of their bullpen in his one year with the squad. While Justice was finishing off his career on one of baseball’s most successful budget teams, Guthrie was delivering in relief for New York.

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Which other players do you remember the Mets traded for only to then trade away before ever playing a game for the team? Surely, there’s at least another one out there.

Home / New York Mets History

Charles Johnson was traded to the Mets on 12/1/1998 and traded that same day to the Baltimore Orioles

Joe Randa was traded to the Mets on 12/4/1998 and traded away to the Kansas City Royals on 12/10/1998

David Justice was traded to the Mets on 12/7/2001 and traded away to the Oakland Athletics on 12/14/2001

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