The unforgettable Mets-Braves trade deadline swap that sparked a deep run

With the Major League Baseball trade deadline quickly approaching, there has been a lot of squawking about what the New York Mets could possibly do to improve upon their chances to continue their recent surge and make a strong bid for postseason play. History has shown that when the Mets need to make that extra push with some added support, the front office has scored big with their acquisitions.

The two most recognizable players acquired at the trade deadline by the Mets, of course, were Donn Clendenon in 1969 and Yoenis Cespedes in 2015. They both had huge impacts on providing especially a much-needed power bat to upgrade the offense.

But there are two players that were acquired during that 2015 whom, because of the Cespedes fanfare, are kind of forgotten. Yet, maybe even more than Cespedes, they were instrumental is bringing a winning dynamic and exuberance to the Mets clubhouse – Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe. The Mets plucked them away from the archrival Atlanta Braves.

The New York Mets were a young team with a lot of talent, but something was missing until Johnson and Uribe arrived

Part of the missing pieces during 2015 was David Wright, who was missing a lot of time due to injury. But there was a lack of veteran leadership…players who were familiar with a winning culture. Johnson and Uribe were two players who had been through pennant races, were students of the game and knew how to play the right way, and were very versatile – they could play multiple positions (Johnson played six different positions and Uribe played two) and they were capable of knowing and understanding their roles, willing to come off the bench without pouting about not starting. They were way past the brooding and only interested in winning.

While Cespedes, who never exactly had the best attitude, carried the team with his bat down the stretch, it was Johnson and Uribe who played pivotal roles in the field, at the plate, and especially in the clubhouse. Johnson was 33 years old, and appeared in 49 games for the Mets, hitting .250 with 5 HR and 13 RBI. Uribe was already 36 years of age, and appeared in 44 games, hitting .219 with 6 HR and 20 RBI.

The stats don’t do them justice. Anyone who watched the team down the stretch would have seen that it always seemed that Johnson and/or Uribe were smack in the middle of a rally or a great play in the field…something good happening to lead the Mets to victory.

Sometimes the important things go unnoticed or forgotten. The pressure to make something happen can often cloud rational thinking. Grabbing hold of a superstar, a big name, can be enticing and a big draw. But sometimes it can be the moves that fly under the radar that can make the most noise.