News of the notorious Mets-Cubs trade was awkwardly delivered through Facetime by Mark Vientos

Now over three years later, (where has the time gone, where did these gray hairs come from?) the 2021 New York Mets trade that sent Pete Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams should feel much more ancient than it actually does. I specifically remember how differently my bedroom was arranged. It was a hot summer made worse by the inherited air conditioner system from the previous owners.

The Mets went bold at the trade deadline by shipping up the previous year’s first round pick for a rental slugger and starting pitcher not having his best season. Fans rioted as they tend to do whenever a well-known prospect is traded. In the end, the trade looked worse because the Mets failed to even make the playoffs.

Something else the Mets failed to do, although we don’t fault them for it, was to notify PCA of the deal before a current member of the big league roster did.

Mark Vientos was the one to tell Pete Crow-Armstrong the Mets traded him

In a discussion on The Chris Rose Rotation, Crow-Armstrong was asked about the day he was traded. He shared the real story about how everyone thought it was Mark Vientos who was on the block. The two expected the current Mets third baseman would get dealt and they’d facetime each other a farewell. Instead, there was a bit of an awkward exchange with a ton of silence.

A Mets trade still highly referenced and questioned, Crow-Armstrong remains a 22-year-old work in progress for the Cubs. Slashing .242/.292/.408 in his 365 plate appearances this year, he is very much the opposite of Vientos. There is little doubt about PCA’s ability to play defense. His offense, on the other hand, remains the reason why he regularly bats eighth in the Cubs order.

The Mets would look extremely different today if the two players were swapped in this trade. PCA in center field would give them a longer term project. What the heck would be the situation at third base without Vientos?

Crow-Armstrong’s story of Vientos being the first to alert him about the trade isn’t an indictment on the Mets but maybe a reminder of how much more quickly these trades happen. Along with it is the increasing power of social media and MLB insiders’ desire to be “first” with reports.

Looking back at the MLB Trade Rumors story on the deal, it appears Bob Nightengale of USA Today was the first to report Crow-Armstrong’s inclusion. Without him, we wouldn’t have gotten this image of Crow-Armstrong and Vientos awkwardly staring at each other through the phone. So, thanks Bob?