3 recent Mets trade deadline deals that aged well, 3 getting worse each day

The trade deadline is a time for a general manager to show his true might. The offseason allows them to spend the owner’s money. It’s in the middle of the season when they need to use their smarts. New York Mets fans have experienced the highs and lows of both sides. Recently, it does feel like there have been more lows.

Going back to the 2019 trade deadline when it was still Brodie Van Wagenen calling the shots, there are three Mets trades that have aged pretty well while another three looking worse by the day.

Unfortunately, it’s those bad ones that were much easier to find.

NY Mets trade deadline deal that aged well: Rich Hill from the Rays

The 2021 Mets were in need of a starting pitching boost and they managed to snag Rich Hill from the Tampa Bay Rays. A surplus of starting pitching allowed the Rays to trade him while they remained competitive.

Hill came to the Mets with a 6-4 record and 3.87 ERA in 19 starts for Tampa Bay. He had an almost identical ERA in New York at 3.84. The big difference was his 1-4 record. Just as soon as Hill arrived in Queens the Mets’ season spiraled further out of control. Taijuan Walker was a different pitcher. Carlos Carrasco returned from his season-long IL stint only to never find any semblance of his former self.

Hill was a pure rental for the Mets who, under different circumstances, could have gone down as one of the better trade deadline deals the team has made. Consider what they gave up. Tommy Hunter was on the IL and would actually end up coming back to the Mets the following year. The lone minor leaguer the Mets gave up, Matthew Dyer, is still in the minors and in search of a position after moving away from catcher.

The Mets managed to get a solid veteran for very little in return. This deal didn’t get them to the postseason but it should fall into the win column for New York.

NY Mets trade deadline deal that aged well: Jason Vargas to the Phillies

The pitching-needy Philadelphia Phillies turned to the Mets for help at the 2019 trade deadline. The Mets had a surplus of starters with the addition of Marcus Stroman. They managed to send double-agent Jason Vargas to Philly for Austin Bossart.

Bossart didn’t do much in the minors for the Mets. So why is this a Mets trade that has aged well?

Vargas actually was doing well for the 2019 Mets. He was 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA at the time of the deal. With the Phillies, Vargas completely imploded. He was his 2018 self again.

Vargas made 11 starts for the Phillies. He went 1-4 with a 5.37 ERA. Hoping they could make it to the postseason in the first year of Bryce Harper’s stay in the City of Brotherly Love, Vargas ended up as one of those players who underperformed and assisted in tanking the season.

The Mets and Phillies both came up short in 2019 as the Atlanta Braves took the division and the Washington Nationals stormed through the league in the final months to eventually win it all. The Mets guessed right that Stroman would be a better addition for their roster than keeping Vargas. It was a bonus for him to land with the Phillies and pitch as poorly as he did.

NY Mets trade deadline deal looking worse each day: Daniel Vogelbach from the Pirates

Mets fans love to overreact to trades. One of the bigger overreactions came when they swapped reliever Colin Holderman for Daniel Vogelbach. It was as if the team was trading Tom Seaver. Holderman was a good reliever but a movable piece for a ball club looking to upgrade a major hole in the lineup. This is a debatable trade where those who thought it was the wrong move to make probably feel a little more confident in their general manager skills these days.

Vogelbach is still on the Mets but on the “outs” with the fans, management, and anyone else who has ever even seen Citi Field. He was a decent addition for the club in 2022, especially with Holderman not pitching all that well for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, as many feared, the trade has turned. A pitcher like Holderman is suddenly a much greater need for the Mets than a limited part-time DH like Vogelbach.

The final grade for this trade remains tough to predict with both players actively on the team they were traded to. Pittsburgh looks like the winners right now. Even if Vogelbach does start to hit, he is a frustrating and ill-fitting member of the roster.

The Mets have spent all year trying to find a reliever like Holderman to insert into the bullpen. Soon enough, they could be making a decision about who replaces Vogelbach; if they haven’t already by the time you read this.

NY Mets trade deadline deal looking worse each day: Javier Baez from the Cubs

The Rich Hill trade at the 2021 deadline didn’t bite the Mets. This one not only bit the Mets, it swallowed them alive.

In exchange for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams, the Chicago Cubs requested the Mets send them Pete Crow-Armstrong. The club’s first-round draft pick from 2020 was sent to the Cubs for the two-month mercenary slugging infielder and a year and a half of production out of Williams. It’s not looking good for the Mets long-term.

A World Series victory for the Mets in 2021 could have helped change the narrative around this trade. Baez was great in the regular season. Williams carved out his niche as a sixth starter and long-man out of the bullpen. Add in how important he was for them in 2022 and there was a lot to like about this trade from a Mets standpoint.

Unfortunately, the hype for Crow-Armstrong has elevated him up every top MLB prospects list. Put him wherever you want. The kid looks like he’s going to be really good.

What has made this trade age especially poor is how meaningless Baez’s strong finish in 2021 became and the lack of presence by him and Williams on the current roster. It might have been a necessary and winning trade with the end result being possible. The Mets didn’t even make the 2021 postseason. This deal has wrinkles already.

NY Mets trade deadline deal looking worse each day: Darin Ruf from the Giants

You can’t discuss recent Mets trade deadline disasters without the name Darin Ruf popping up. I won’t blame you for wanting to ignore this trade. It has been beaten to death in our minds. Our hearts have yet to mend.

There might not be a Mets trade that was an attempted buyer move met with more controversy. There was outrage when the Mets gave up two prospects for Marcus Stroman. People freaked out in the one-for-one swap to land Daniel Vogelbach. This deal, on the other hand, felt forced and a bit unnecessary.

For Ruf, the Mets gave up J.D. Davis plus three minor league pitchers. It doesn’t matter if the pitchers were named Larry, Curly, and Moe. That’s a lot to give up for one player having a lousy year; something Ruf was doing at the time of the deal.

The Mets never got a single home run from Ruf which is astonishing to think about. The whole point of landing him was to have a player drive the ball a long way versus lefties. He was the missing piece for the roster after acquiring Vogelbach. As it turns out, neither was a very good fit for the Mets. Worst of all, they waited a long time to hit the eject button. The Mets could have easily non-tendered Vogelbach and looked toward a DH upgrade. Ruf came within days of making the Mets Opening Day roster. Even some semblance of production in the preseason and we might not have seen him DFA’d.

The legend of the Ruf trade will only get worse as it goes on.