August 28, 1984 – Mets add Ray Knight in a deal with the Astros
As painful as 1977 was for Mets fans, this trade on August 28, 1984, helped make up for it. Two-time All-Star Ray Knight was hitting just .223 for the Houston Astros. They sent him to the Mets where he would go on to bat .280 in his first 101 plate appearances.
Unfortunately, he did revert back to his slumping ways in 1985 with just a .218 batting average. So, why is he even on this list?
If you don’t know, have you followed Mets history at all? Knight surged back to his prime in 1986 with a .298/.351/.424 performance. His regular season performance earned him a 14th place finish in the MVP vote. A footnote on his year, bigger things were yet to come.
Far more notable, Knight slashed .391/.440/.565 in the World Series. He would go on to win the World Series MVP and add a ring to his finger.
The trade that brought the second World Series MVP to the Mets cost them Gerald Young, Manuel Lee, and Mitch Cook. All expendable because of what Knight accomplished, we have a clear victor.
There is no debating this one. The Mets were the big winners in this August trade with the Astros.