3 blockbuster NY Mets trades that changed the franchise for the best, 2 that didn't

Three players who came to the Mets with a lot of hype and delivered. Two who had the opposite results.
New York Mets v Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Mets v Pittsburgh Pirates | George Gojkovich/GettyImages
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The George Foster trade stalled the Mets

A lot of really good trades helped build the 1986 Mets. One of their biggest, unfortunately, was a massive failure. The highest paid player on the 1986 team, George Foster, wouldn’t even make it through the whole season. Acquired before Hernandez from the Cincinnati Reds, it was a failed attempt at making the ball club relevant again.

Foster was a beast in Cincinnati in the late 1970s. He led the league in RBI three straight seasons and was a two-time home run champion. The league MVP in 1977 during a season where he led the league in runs (124), home runs (52), and (149 RBI), Foster was a case of mismatched personalities and a player coming to New York a little too past his prime.

Although he was an all-Star in 1981, Foster was on the wrong side of 30 and on the decline. He batted .247/.309/.367 with 13 home runs in 1982. Things got mildly better performance-wise, but he was eventually replaced in left field by Kevin Mitchell. Those who know their Mets history understand the irony here with the former MVP (Foster) getting replaced by a future one (Mitchell). Of course, neither won the award with the Mets as one was acquired too late in his career and the other sent away for misguided reasons.

The trade wasn’t costly for the Mets in terms of what they gave up for Foster. The biggest problem was Foster’s inability to play at a high level like he did in Cincinnati. Father time remains undefeated and definitely won this round.