4 times the Mets overpaid for a rental in a trade deadline deal

2) NY Mets trade for Kris Benson was an overpayment

The 2004 trade deadline was not kind to the Mets and their GM Jim Duquette. After a 2003 record of 66-95, Duquette decided that it was time for the Mets to do something dramatic to try to salvage their season and perhaps save his job. On July 30, the Mets acquired a young Jose Bautista in a trade with the Kansas City Royals and then turned right around and included him in another trade that sent Matt Peterson, Ty Wigginton, and Bautista to the Pittsburgh Pirates for free agent to be pitcher Kris Benson. Benson would go 4-4 in 11 starts for the Mets that season before becoming a free agent. Jose Bautista would have a 15 year major league career, slugging 344 home runs and 975 RBI’s.

The Mets also made another trade that day and although it wasn’t for a free agent to be, it is a trade that is infamous in Mets lore as the team’s all-time worst deal. On the same day, the Mets traded Jose Diaz and their best pitching prospect in Scott Kazmir to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Bartolome Fortunato and pitcher Victor Zambrano. Zambrano was known to have had some difficulties but Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson famously claimed that he could fix any of Zambrano’s flaws in 10 minutes. Zambrano only pitched in three games for the Mets before arm trouble caused him to be shut down for the remainder of the season.

In his three-year Mets career he would go 10-14. Scott Kazmir would go on to pitch in three All-Star games and win 108 games in a 13 year major league career. Zambrano, who had been averaging 6.8 walks per nine innings at the time of the trade and despite being in the National League for the final two months, still led the American League in walks.

The Mets would finish at 71-91 that year. Jim Duquette would be replaced as GM by Omar Minaya. Free agent Kris Benson would sign with the Mets in 2005 but was traded to the Baltimore Orioles the following year.

3) NY Mets trade for Mike Bordick was an overpayment

The Mets once again were active at the trade deadline of 2000. Shortstop Rey Ordonez suffered a broken arm in May and was lost for the season. The Mets had post season aspirations and knew that they needed a replacement shortstop. The Mets first agreed to a trade with the Cincinnati Reds that would have sent future Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin to New York for a package that included top minor league outfielder Alex Escobar and pitchers Eric Cammack and Jason Saenz.

However, there was a problem. Barry Larkin had a no-trade clause in his contract, a contract that was about to expire at the end of the season. In order for him to waive his no-trade clause, Larkin insisted that his new team had to be willing to sign him to a contract extension. Mets GM Steve Phillips refused to commit to Larkin beyond the 2000 season. Larkin refused to waive his no-trade clause. No deal.

Still in need of a quality shortstop replacement, the Mets turned their attention to the Baltimore Orioles’ Mike Bordick. The slick fielding Bordick was having a good season with 16 home runs, a .297 batting average, and an appearance at the 2000 All-Star game. The Mets and Orioles agreed to a trade that would send Mike Bordick and his expiring contract to New York for infielder Melvin Mora and minor leaguers Mike Kinkade, Pat Gorman, and Lesli Brea.

Mike Bordick’s time in New York was disappointing at best. In 56 games with the Mets, he hit only .260 with four home runs while committing seven errors in the field. He became a free agent and left at the season’s end, only to return to Baltimore. Melvin Mora went on to have a 13 year major league career, spent mostly with Baltimore. He had a lifetime batting average of .277, one Silver Slugger Award and two All-Star game appearances. Mike Bordick retired in 2003.

4) NY Mets trade for Javier Baez was an overpayment

In one of the more recent deals, the Mets acquired infielder Javier Baez and right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs at the 2021 trade deadline. In exchange for this duo, the Mets sent 2020 first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong to Chicago. Baez was a close friend with Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who had lobbied hard for management to make this trade. Baez, a short stop by trade, said that he was willing to move to second base for the opportunity to play next to his friend Lindor but for no one else..

Javier Baez got off to a slow start at bat with the Mets and even had a dust up with the fans. He was unhappy with the fans who had been raining boos down on him for what they perceived as poor performance. When he did well and the fans began to cheer as fickle fans will sometimes do, Baez gave them a thumbs down. Mets owner Steve Cohan said that this behavior was unacceptable and Baez apologized. Javier Baez had the worst walk to strikeout ratio in the majors, at 0.15. He swung at and missed 21.7% of all pitches, the highest percentage in major league baseball in 2021.

The Mets offered Baez a five year, $125 million contract after the season but he decided to take a five year, $140 million contract from the Detroit Tigers. With the Mets refusing to pay the additional $15 million, essentially they gave up Pete Crow-Armstrong, their 2020 first-round pick, for 47 games of Javier Baez. Pete Crow-Armstrong was named as a 2022 MiLB Gold Glove as one of the three best defensive outfielders in the minor leagues and is considered to be the #1 prospect in the Chicago Cubs minor league system and sixth ranked outfield prospect in MLB.

Four times the Mets overpaid in trade deadline deals: Who's Next? 2023

There are times when a trade deadline deal can make a difference in the outcome of a team's season. A good example is Yoenis Cespedes, who was acquired by the Mets at the 2015 trade deadline after their original deal for Carlos Gomez fell apart. Cespedes was a major contributor to the team's march to the World Series that year.

However, more time than not, trade deadline deals don’t deliver the hoped for results. But, as the 2023 trade deadline approaches, rest assured that there will still be teams wheeling and dealing, hoping to be one of the few to catch lightning in a bottle. It’s a part of baseball history and tradition. Besides, it’s fun to dream.

After all, the sky’s the limit.