The best Mets trade with the Red Sox

When most of us think of the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox in the same sentence, we think of the 1986 World Series. The two matched up in what was one of the most memorable best of 7 finales to a baseball season.

Nearly a full year before it all happened, the two organizations made an impactful trade involving a lot of names.

The most significant was Bob Ojeda. After parts of six seasons with Boston, Ojeda was traded along with three other players for four members of the Mets organization. It didn't take long to declare the Mets the runaway victors in this deal.

The best Mets trade with the Red Sox brought them Bob Ojeda

Ojeda was just 44-39 with a 4.21 ERA as a member of the Red Sox. An average starter for them, he cranked it up to a whole new level during his tenure in New York.

He got started with an 18-5 record in 1986 complete with a 2.57 ERA. He would finish fourth in the Cy Young race.

Ojeda was essential in the postseason, too. The 1986 season was the only time in his career he would pitch in the playoffs. Ojeda made the most of it, going 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four starts—two in the NLCS and another pair in the World Series against Boston.

Even if he spent just a single season with the Mets, this should be regarded as the best trade the team has made with Boston. However, Ojeda was productive for several more years. He’d end up going 51-40 for the club with a 3.12 ERA.

One other fascinating part of this trade involving eight total players is the presence of Calvin Schiraldi. He was the losing pitcher in both games six and seven for the Red Sox. Remove this trade from Mets history, there might not be a 1986 championship.

Honorable mention trades between the Mets and Red Sox

Although the two clubs have made numerous trades over the years, nothing stands out as truly notable as a victory for the Mets. They’ve traded closers to Boston twice, once in 2009 with Billy Wagner and again in 2017 with Addison Reed. The Mets didn’t get much in return for either deal.

Frankly, most of the other trades between these two clubs have been more minor. I can’t think of a more even deal than the 1999 decision to swap Jon Nunnally for Jermaine Allensworth. In most of the trades these two clubs made, lesser players were involved.

Even in the 1985 trade involving Ojeda, this could have happened. Instead, Ojeda shined and it went down as the best trade the Mets made with the Red Sox.