5 most shocking transactions in Mets history

In 1988, Jane’s Addiction claimed that Nothing’s Shocking but I disagree. Baseball still has a way of bewildering us. Throughout New York Mets history, there have been plenty of surprising transactions.

Rather than rank them—because how do you really rate your surprise—I thought instead I’d take you through history and share a few details on what I believe are the five most shocking Mets transactions.

If you’re new to this, clean the floor. Your jaw may drop to it.

NY Mets trade their franchise star Tom Seaver on June 15, 1977

I wasn’t around in 1977 to see the gas shortages, the end of Elvis Pressley, or the Midnight Massacre. The name given to the day when the Mets tore their franchise apart, it was headlined by the Tom Seaver trade to the Cincinnati Reds.

On June 15, 1977, MLB’s trade deadline was the opportunity for the Mets to say sayonara to winning and having to pay their players. Seaver had regularly been in disputes with ownership over his pay. With baseball evolving during this decade with free agency and other parts, the Mets felt it was time to move on.

It’s hard to really compare trading Seaver to anything else. Even dealing Jacob deGrom wouldn’t measure up. Seaver was the first true star the franchise ever had. It’s why they nicknamed him “The Franchise.” He remains the best player to ever represent the team, too.

Outside of landing a star player back of equal ability, the move was cursed from the start. Still held in the lowest of regards all of these years later, it was the most shocking negative transaction the franchise was ever involved in.

Rumor has it if you listen closely late at night every June 15, you can still hear Mets fans wailing with grief.

NY Mets lose Tom Seaver to the Chicago White Sox in the free agent compensation draft

Another shocking transaction took place on June 20, 1984, involving Tom Seaver. Can you believe it? Seaver was traded back to the Mets before the 1983 season. All seemed well in the world. The club was headed in the right direction, too. Maybe Seaver could be a big part of it.

Back then, there was something called the free agent compensation draft. It’s kind of like the way the qualifying offer compensation worked. It allowed teams that lost players in free agency to draft away others under team control and take on their contract.

Believing nobody would possibly want the aging Seaver and his hefty contract, the Mets left him unprotected in the draft. Who would possibly want a nearly 40-year-old pitcher? The Chicago White Sox did.

Seaver was selected by the White Sox and his days with the Mets were now over. He would not be able to get win number 300 with his beloved orange and blue fans cheering him on—although, win number 300 would eventually come at Yankee Stadium so at least some brave Mets fans were able to venture over without having to book an airline ticket through a travel agent—something as obsolete as the free agent compensation draft.

Fortunately, as far as shock goes, I think those are the only two worthy of this list that has a negative connotation. Our final three looks at the Mets a little more positively.

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.

NY Mets sign free agent Max Scherzer to the highest AAV deal in team history

Remember when I said ownership matters a lot and how it can swing a team’s fortunes? Well, we’re seeing it firsthand under Steve Cohen.

In only his second offseason as owner of the Mets, he gave free agent pitcher Max Scherzer a record-breaking contract. It set a new high as the largest average annual value in the history of the game. This was the kind of move an owner that wants to win it all makes.

If we’re going to be honest, I don’t think anyone expected Scherzer to sign with the Mets. We can cite a variety of reasons for this. Maybe New York wasn’t his thing. Maybe he was a little too old or a little too costly for them. Whatever you used to explain your lack of anticipation, you were with us all.

When the Mets did sign him, it came as a huge surprise to everyone. Seriously? Pinch yourself. You’re not dreaming.

Scherzer won’t get a chance to become one of the all-time great Mets pitchers because of how long he’ll end up staying with the ball club. That doesn’t mean his impact will be forgotten. Signing him was as symbolic as it was valuable to winning. The Scherzer signing showed the rest of the league how serious the Mets were about winning.