7) Worst NY Mets trade or free agent signing since Steve Cohen took over: Cameron Maybin for a dollar
The 2021 Mets were desperate for outfield help. The best player they’d find off the scrap heap was Billy McKinney. Remember the love affair Mets fans had with him briefly?
At one point the injuries piled up so much they turned to the Chicago Cubs for help. They traded a single dollar for veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin who was riding out the year in the minor leagues.
Maybin would end up going a ridiculously awful 1 for 28 in 9 games for the Mets. Let’s check that again. That can’t be correct. The hit even came in his final game for the Mets.
If you stuck around throughout the 2021 season, you’ll recall how contagious the slumping was. The team was getting hurt often. The perfect example of this was Maybin’s first game on May 19. He started in left field and hit third for the Mets while striking out 3 times. His outfield partners were Johneshwy Fargas in center field and Khalil Lee in right field.
Yes, it only cost the Mets a dollar. The Cubs wouldn’t even accept a player from the Mets because they knew they’d get nothing out of Maybin. Nonetheless, it’s hard to ignore this trade due to how bad the numbers turned out to be.