4 times the Mets traded a fan favorite to the Phillies

4) NY Mets traded fan favorite Turk Wendell to the Phillies

Mets and Phillies fans can argue over McGraw. They can pass along Dykstra in a hot potato fashion. There is no denying which team Turk Wendell represented best. Parts of five seasons were spent with the Mets. He played more games with the Mets than any other club.

Wendell first joined the Mets in the middle of the 1997 team in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. He wasn’t very good in those first 13 games, posting a 4.96 ERA.

Things changed quickly in 1998. Wendell appeared in 66 games, tossed 76.2 innings, and did it all with a 2.93 ERA. He’d continue to be available regularly out of the bullpen for Bobby Valentine. Before he was traded to the Phillies in mid-2001, Wendell wrapped up his stint with the Mets owning a 22-14 record and 3.34 ERA.

The stint came to a close on July 27, 2001, when Wendell and Dennis Cook were sent to the Phillies for pitching prospect Adam Walker and starter Bruce Chen. Chen made 11 starts for the team down the stretch, pitching to a 4.68 ERA. The Mets sent him to the Montreal Expos the next April.

Wendell wasn’t very good for the Phillies in his 2001 appearances either. The 7.47 ERA in 15.2 innings was a huge contrast from what he did in New York. The 2002 season was a wash due to injuries but he did manage to get back on the field in 2003 where he gave them a quality season.

Wendell, like McGraw, Dykstra, and McDowell had a big and often fun personality. Even Harrelson did more than fade into the background. What is it about the Mets trading interesting people to the Phillies?