Top 5 Mets offseasons in franchise history

4) 1967-1968 Mets offseason brought the Mets a championship on the field and in the dugout

The 1969 World Series Championship was still a full year into the future. However, a huge leap forward took place in the offseason of 1967-1968.

The first move of significance came when the Mets traded Bob Johnson to the Cincinnati Reds for Art Shamsky. Shamsky would become a fan favorite (he still is today) and vital member of the 1969 Mets in the right field platoon with Ron Swoboda. Before the month of November was over, the Mets would make yet another move and it included the addition of a Hall of Famer.

In one of the rarest kinds of trades, the Mets and the Washington Senators pulled off a player for manager swap. Bill Denehy went to the Senators and Gil Hodges went to the Mets. Immediately, the impact was felt. The Mets had their best season yet in 1968. Only one year later, they won it all. Hodges, more than maybe any other manager in franchise history, was a big reason for the success, too.

Finally, the Mets made this an offseason to remember when they pulled off another trade with the Chicago White Sox. Jack Fisher, Tommy Davis, Billy Wynne, and Buddy Booker went to the Northside. Into Queens came Tommie Agee and Al Weis. Agee became one of the team’s best offensive players and a Gold Glove center fielder. Weis, while less impactful on an everyday basis, did have his one big World Series moment when he tied Game 5 of the 1969 World Series with a home run.