The most awkward trade in NY Mets history

There are trades that are coincidental, like Jerry Koosman getting traded for Jesse Orosco, the two players to throw the last pitch in both New York Mets World Series wins. Then there are purely awkward trades due to the timing.

On August 27, 2013, the Mets ignored the promotions department. Fans attending the Tuesday night game versus the Philadelphia Phillies were all set to receive a Marlon Byrd t-shirt. Here’s the problem: Byrd was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier in the day.

The Mets will never make a more awkward trade than this

At 58-71 entering the day, the Mets were well into a sell-off. Byrd and catcher John Buck were sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later. Shortly after, Vic Black was sent to the Mets to complete the deal.

Byrd was tearing it up with the Mets in 2013, smashing 21 home runs and hitting .285. It would result in him putting together his best major league season that continued in Pittsburgh.

Byrd ended up slashing .291/.336/.511 with 24 home runs and 88 RBI. Buck played only 9 games for the Pirates as a backup catcher. What about those other two pieces the Mets got back in return for Byrd?

Herrera became a top prospect in the Mets system, ranked sixth by MLB Pipeline in 2015. He’d end up in only 49 games for the Amazins in 2014 and 2015. He hit .215. Herrera’s career includes an additional 53 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 2018 and three more with the Baltimore Orioles in 2020. His time with the Mets came to a close when he was used in 2016 as a headliner in the trade with the Reds for Jay Bruce.

Although merely a relief pitcher, Black had a successful stint in New York albeit a short-lived one. A 3.46 ERA in 2013 and 2.60 ERA in 2014, he was a mid-20s arm who looked like he could grow into a steady bullpen presence for several years. Unfortunately, injuries got the best of him. He spent all of 2015 rehabbing in the minors and never made it back to the majors. Black last pitched for the New Jersey Jackals of the Independent League in 2018.

Both teams managed to benefit from the trade. Byrd was exceptional with the Pirates and would even hit .364/.391/.591 for them in the postseason; his only career playoff appearance. Because the Mets were able to turn Herrera into Bruce, they were later recipients of the best of this trade.

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