3 hyped NY Mets trades or signings that failed to change the franchise for the better

3) Vince Coleman

The Mets and Cardinals was a huge rivalry throughout the 80’s. And a huge thorn in the side of the Mets throughout that period was Vince Coleman. Coleman was the main cog in the running machine of those Cardinals teams.

So when the Mets were rebuilding in the early 90’s and in the midst of their wild spending spree, the Mets management decided to make a move to bring Coleman in on a huge contract to be their centerfielder. Now, mind you, Coleman was not the Cardinals centerfielder all those years, that player was Willie McGee. And the key is “all those years.”

Coleman was already well into his career and, of course, the legs are usually the first to go. Age tends to slow you down. Even the great Rickey Henderson was curtailed a bit as he aged. Coleman was already slowing down when the Mets signed him. Then he came to a screeching halt.

Coleman had played six seasons for the Cardinals and led the National League all six of those years averaging 91 stolen bases. Coleman played three seasons for the Mets…and never played a full season. The most games he played was 104.

And it just wasn’t that he was hurt, or that his performance was subpar. He was a problem. In his last season, 1993, he threw a firecracker into the stands at Dodger Stadium injuring a group of fans including a one-year-old child. A model citizen.

The Mets thought they were getting someone that would ignite the team. Well, he didn’t exactly have the right direction, and neither did the Mets management.