The failed NY Mets trade that couldn't have worked out more perfectly

The “what if?” with any transaction can leave fans with a lot of questions. What about those rare “what ifs?” that came true in a completely different way. For the New York Mets, there might not be a better example than a failed trade prior to the 1986 season.

In his first full year with the Mets, Ray Knight was a grave disappointment. He hit well in 1984, but in 1985, Knight batted .218/.252/.328 with 6 home runs in 290 plate appearances. The team was ready to move on, acquiring Howard Johnson the previous winter and platooning him with Knight regularly at third base.

The Mets had reasons to want to move on from Knight who was a year away from free agency. They never did, fortunately, as he’d earn World Series MVP honors. The real amazing thing is the player they tried to trade Knight away for ended up coming to New York for free.

Ray Knight for Lee Mazzilli is the best failed Mets trade attempt

Knight sticking around for the 1986 season rewarded them both in the regular season and playoffs. It also delayed pushing Johnson into the everyday lineup which was needed. He exploded offensively in 1987 after the Mets let Knight walk away in free agency, an unpopular yet justified decision when you look at the results on the field.

Before that all happened, the Mets had intentions of trading Knight to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Lee Mazzilli. The former Mets fan-favorite had a really good 1985 season in Pittsburgh as a part-time player. He hit .282/.425/.376. Essentially replacing the role Rusty Staub had for the Mets as a pinch hitter they could rely on, it was an understandable move that never came to be.

Mazzilli didn’t have as good of a year for the Pirates in 1986. Batting .226/.392/.301, the Bucs ended up releasing him on July 23. On August 3, he signed with the Mets. The trade that never was somehow came to be.

Far from being cooked, Mazzilli hit .276/.417/.431 in 72 plate appearances. He contributed in the postseason as well with several big hits. In Game 7, Mazzilli singled and scored the first run in the Mets’ comeback. Knight hit a home run to put them ahead an inning later.

Had this trade happened, Mets history might get completely rewritten. There’s no Knight in the regular season and definitely not in the World Series. Mazzilli might’ve done the exact same thing in New York that he did in the Steel City and slump through the first few months.

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