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

NY Mets trade deadline deal that aged well: Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays

The 2019 Mets trade for Marcus Stroman definitely had some detractors. Anthony Kay was pitching well in the minors and Mets fans weren’t willing to give him up. Years later, Kay has been moved to the bullpen and is, ironically enough, a teammate of Stroman’s on the Chicago Cubs pitching in relief. His time with the Toronto Blue Jays was brief, unproductive, and over quickly.

Stroman was a good Met for them in 2019 following the trade and again in 2021 when he returned after opting out for the full 2021 season. The one player who could still turn this trade into an ugly one for the Mets is Simeon Woods Richardson. The other piece traded alongside Kay for Stroman made his MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins in 2022. He has been rocked around in Triple-A this season. While he is only 22-years-old, he may have hit a roadblock on his major league path. The Blue Jays did flip him in a package for Jose Berrios so at least they did benefit in a different way.

It is worth noting the Mets technically only got a half-season out of Stroman. After opting out in 2020, he accepted the qualifying offer for the 2021 season. He managed to make a league-leading 33 starts and go 10-13 with a 3.02 ERA for the Mets. On a much better team, this would have made the Stroman trade a much better one in the eyes of fans.

Overall, the Mets gave up a guy who has now become a questionable reliever and a prospect who has yet to break through. It didn’t pay off for New York, but the Blue Jays didn’t benefit much either.