NY Mets trade retrospective: LA Dodgers deadline deal that led to a more infamous one

The 2003 New York Mets weren’t trying to kid themselves. They knew well before the trade deadline they’d be selling. The month of July was all about subtraction. On July 14, 2003, they sent one of their best hitters to the Los Angeles Dodgers with some cash for a group of three prospects.

Round two of Jeromy Burnitz on the Mets roster was coming to an end, but looking successful to begin the 2003 season. He mashed 18 home runs in only 65 games. He was hitting .274/.344/.581 at the time of the deal.

A straightforward trade on the surface, it becomes much more complicated as we follow the outcome of every player involved.

How this Mets-Dodgers trade became a lot more complicated with no real winner

Burnitz continued to hit for power in Los Angeles yet saw his other numbers drop off. He hit 13 home runs in 61 games while seeing his slash line drop to .204/.252/.391. The Dodgers didn’t even make it to the postseason. Burnitz became a free agent at season’s end, giving the Mets a good shot at raising the victory flag on this trade.

In return for Burnitz the Mets got prospects Kole Strayhorn, Jose Diaz, and Victor Diaz. Strayhorn never got higher than Double-A. Victor Diaz ended up in 110 games scattered across three seasons for the Mets. He ended up traded on August 30, 2006 for Mike Nickeas, a catcher who’d hit .180 in 191 Mets plate appearances from 2010-2012.

Not much to show for it, Jose Diaz ended up as the other player paired with Scott Kazmir in the infamous 2004 trade deadline deal which brought the Mets Bartolome Fortunateo and Victor Zambrano. Diaz became inconsequential to the rating of this trade with only 5 MLB games and none with the Mets or even the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Burnitz to the Dodgers trade never amounted to much of anything for either team. Victor Diaz would find success in Mexico in the early 2010s and even had a brief stint in Japan. A worthwhile trade for both clubs regardless of the results, it’s a reminder of why you should take risks and count on nothing.

As "different" as an outcome as this trade had, there was another one more recent that can be considered close. In 2017, Jay Bruce had 29 home runs in 103 games and was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Ryder Ryan. On August 31, 2020, the Mets reunited with Todd Frazier. They sent the Texas Rangers a player to be named later in December. It ended up being Ryan. Two trades involving one player (Jose Diaz) with no winner to be found.

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