7 Mets trades that won the 1986 World Series

The Mets added another great trade to their history by acquiring Sid Fernandez

Sid Fernandez might be one of the most underrated pitchers in Mets history. It all began with a December trade in 1983 when, along with Ross Jones, he was traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers for Bob Bailor and Carlos Diaz.

It didn’t take Fernandez long to grow into a quality big league arm. In 1985, his age 22 season, he made 26 starts and finished with a 2.80 ERA. He was an All-Star for the 1985 club, going 16-6 with a 3.52 ERA on the season. Like so many of his teammates, he was in the Cy Young race with a seventh place finish in the voting.

When the playoffs rolled around, Fernandez ended up as the “odd-man-out” when it came to the rotation. He made one start and lost to the Astros. Against the Red Sox, he pitched exclusively in relief but he made the most of the opportunity.

Fernandez would appear in three games, toss 6.2 innings, and give the Mets a 1.35 ERA performance complete with 10 strikeouts.

His time with the Mets would end after the 1993 season with 98 wins next to his name as a member of the team. Although he wasn’t the best pitcher on the 1986 staff, he was a valuable piece and a winning innings eater with 204.1 regular season frames.