5 most shocking transactions in Mets history

NY Mets trade for Mike Piazza only days after he was already traded

Finally, something I was alive to see! Although I don’t remember it much because the internet wasn’t something that my parents were willing to pay for until a few years later—even then, we had dial-up for way too long—I do recall those early days of Mike Piazza on the Mets. I remember them well. He crushed baseballs like no one else I had ever seen in the uniform before. He was a threat to anyone who stepped on the mound.

Getting Piazza was a surprise for Mets fans. What made it even more shocking was that he had just been traded a few days earlier.

On May 14, Piazza joined the Florida Marlins after a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. On May 22, he was again traded. This time, the Marlins sent him to the division-rival Mets for a couple of minor leaguers. It was the kind of move that would have had social media in a frenzy. Too bad most fans probably didn’t learn about it until the paper the next morning.

As far as trades go, this has to be the biggest shock of all. Although the Mets weren’t shy about making big moves in those days, the Piazza deal was different. He was an absolute star and after many seasons of missing the postseason, it appeared the team was ready to do whatever it took to get them there.

A season later, with Piazza leading the way, they’d return to the playoffs after a more than ten-year absence.