The one where the NY Mets almost traded for Ken Griffey Jr.

What’s the biggest New York Mets trade that never was? Among the known biggies, there was the December of 1999 deal which would’ve sent Ken Griffey Jr. to Queens.

Now the stuff of lore, it was a mid-December attempt to add a generational talent to a Mets team clearly on the rise. They made the postseason months earlier. Griffey would have had the potential to put them further over the top.

Or would he have? In a piece from a few years ago by MLB's Michael Clair, fallout of the trade being completed was discussed. Griffey was the one who ultimately vetoed the trade, stating he’d only accept a deal to his hometown Cincinnati Reds.

Ken Griffey Jr. on the Mets starting in 2000 completely changes the dynamic of the season and organization

The package to land Griffey was shockingly not something that, at least all of these years later, feels exceptionally high. Lefty reliever Dennis Cook, speedster Roger Cedeno, and pitching prospect Octavio Dotel were all rumored to be on the move to the Seattle Mariners. Weeks later, Cedeno and Dotel were packaged in a deal with another minor leaguer for Mike Hampton and Derek Bell. Cook remained in New York, eventually traded in mid-2001 to the Philadelphia Phillies alongside Turk Wendell for a minor leaguer and Bruce Chen.

Knowing your Mets history, you can quickly come to some of the same conclusions Clair did. No Hampton on the Mets roster eliminates some certainty about the team’s pitching staff, therefore, maybe no National League Pennant. The team ended up in surprisingly good shape in center field even without Griffey. Jay Payton had a good year and the acquisition of Bell to be their right fielder worked out just fine.

Meanwhile, Griffey clobbered 40 home runs for the Reds and drove in 118. Although he’d play for another decade, injuries began to plague the superstar’s career. He never had another 100 RBI season again. He reached the 30 home run mark twice. Every Gold Glove was left for someone else to take.

It would have been classic early 2000s Mets for them to acquire Griffey only to see him break down so quickly. The team had a knack for acquiring over-the-hill stars past their prime. Griffey, still as popular as ever, would’ve had a chance to go down as the biggest disappointment merely due to his injuries. Considering the chaos that often followed the Mets, there’s no telling how messy things could have gotten.

All ended well for the Mets. They won the pennant without him and would have another trip to the postseason in 2006 sans an aging and injury depleted veteran with 600+ home runs in his back pocket. Oh, and because they went with Hampton instead, his departure directly led to gaining a draft pick that brought them David Wright.