12 worst Mets trades and free agent signings since Steve Cohen took over as majority owner

6) Worst NY Mets trade or free agent signing since Steve Cohen took over: Trading Pete Crow-Armstrong

This is debatable and it involves the Chicago Cubs again. It’s not their last appearance either, sadly.

The 2021 Mets trade deadline swing for the fences cost them their 2020 first-round draft pick, Pete Crow-Armstrong. It’s his presence in this trade that makes it one of the worst since Steve Cohen took over as the owner.

In exchange for PCA, the Mets received slugging second baseman Javier Baez and struggling starter Trevor Williams. The need for Baez came due to a slumping offense and an injury to shortstop Francisco Lindor. The plan was to move Baez to second base when Lindor returned from the IL. It worked out well except the two were united in giving the fans a thumbs down as a response to the boos constantly pouring down from the stands at an underachieving ball club.

Baez was a productive yet ill-received member of the Mets for about two months. It was all his own making. The .299/.371/.515 he hit in 47 games isn’t what he is remembered for most when it should be because all of those numbers trounce career totals.

The best part of this deal turned out to be the addition of Williams who still wasn’t worth giving up Crow-Armstrong. This trade only had one way of becoming a victory for New York. It would have required the Mets to win a championship with Baez. They didn’t and now we wait for PCA to become a Wrigley Field legend. If he meets expectations, this could turn into the worst move of the Cohen Era.