The 3 best prospects the Mets have traded in deals they still won

Marlins v Cubs
Marlins v Cubs / Jonathan Daniel/GettyImages
1 of 3
Next

It’s hard for a general manager to trade a prospect of any kind without upsetting the fanbase. Even when the trades are a clear immediate winner for the team buying the veteran, there can be some doubt. Plenty of bad New York Mets trades have involved a prospect leaving the organization for a veteran. It’s ingrained in the history.

A couple of times, something rare occurred. The Mets traded a prospect who became something pretty special in a deal they outright won.

1) NY Mets traded Preston Wilson in their package for Mike Piazza

There is little doubt the Mets won the Mike Piazza trade. Even if they never did win a championship with him on the roster, it’s an unreasonable claim to say the Florida Marlins won this deal.

To acquire the future Hall of Fame catcher, the Mets sent Geoff Goetz, Ed Yarnall, and outfielder Preston Wilson. Eight games into his MLB career, Wilson was headed to the Marlins.

Wilson showed off his power early on with the Marlins. The center fielder for the club from mid-1998 through the 2002 season, he would go on to mash 104 home runs for the ball club. He had a 30/30/30 season in 2000, finishing with 35 doubles, 31 home runs, and 36 stolen bases.

Wilson’s career was short yet memorable. In 2003, now with the Colorado Rockies, Wilson set numerous career-highs. Included were 36 home runs and a league-leading 141 RBI.

Unfortunately, his last MLB season took place in 2007. He bounced around with several different teams in those final seasons. Somewhat forgotten, he was a member of the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals. Mets fans know why that hurts even if he was a minor contributor for them during that year.

2) NY Mets traded Carlos Gomez in their package for Johan Santana

Carlos Gomez played 58 games for the 2007 Mets before he was traded to the Minnesota Twins the following offseason. It was a massive package sent to the Twins to acquire Johan Santana. Gomez was joined by Deolis Guerra, Phillip Humber, and Kevin Mulvey in what would turn out to be a steal for Santana.

Santana never did win another Cy Young for the Mets, but he pitched the first and very overdue no-hitter in team history. He was a bright spot in years when there weren’t too many.

Meanwhile, Gomez waited until the 2012 season to break out as one of the best outfielders in baseball. After getting traded again, this time to the Milwaukee Brewers for JJ Hardy, the ex-Mets outfielder spent a couple of years hitting for power and stealing a whole bunch of bases.

Gomez made two trips to the All-Star Game with the Brewers in 2013 and 2014. In a flash, he began to regress again after leaving Milwaukee in a 2015 trade deadline deal with the Houston Astros alongside Mike Fiers.

There are a lot of similarities with Gomez and Wilson. Their prime was short yet awesome. They did a little bit of everything well. Each was dealt away in a deal the Mets won.

One difference: Gomez eventually returned to the Mets. A participant in 34 games back in 2019, it was the finale of his MLB career.

3) NY Mets traded Michael Fulmer in their package for Yoenis Cespedes

When the Mets traded Michael Fulmer in 2015 he had yet to make it to the big leagues. It was a necessary move. The team found themselves in the thick of a playoff chase. In need of a power bat, rumors of the Mets landing Gomez from the Brewers led to the moment where Wilmer Flores was brought to tears on the field. That deal never went through. Instead, the Mets turned their attention to the Detroit Tigers.

In exchange for Luis Cessa and Michael Fulmer, the Mets picked up Yoenis Cespedes. A catalyst for their 2015 postseason run, his stay in Queens was headline-grabbing and short-lived. For the 2015 season, it was almost perfect.

Fulmer would go on to win the 2016 Rookie of the Year with Detroit. The next year he was an All-Star. Things began to change for him in 2018 when he struggled throughout the year. Injuries knocked him out of the entire 2019 campaign. He was horrific in the shortened 2020 season.

Fulmer almost pitched himself off of a list like this until he made the move to the bullpen. Since 2021, he has quietly become one of the more effective late-inning relievers in baseball. He’s even someone the Mets should consider adding in the future. Hopefully, if they do, it yields better results than when Gomez came back.

The best Mets trades for a minor league player. dark. Next

Next