Blogging Mets

Amos Otis & Bob Johnson for Joe Foy (12/3/69)

The classic bad Mets trade. Hey, without it we would never know who Joy Foy was!

Nolan Ryan, Leroy Stanton, Francisco Estrada & Don Rose for Jim Fregosi (12/10/71)

I don’t know what’s worse — trading Ryan for a washed up Fregosi, or having to include three other players to make the deal.

Rusty Staub & Bill Laxton for Mickey Lolich & Billy Baldwin (12/12/75)

The Mets traded one of the most popular players in their history who went on to have All-Star seasons for the Tigers in exchange for an over-the-hill pitcher who lasted one season with the Mets. Well done. Plus, we got the Baldwin brother who sucks.

Tom Seaver for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson & Dan Norman (6/15/77)

No comment needed.

Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell & Tom Edens for Juan Samuel (6/18/89)

So let’s see — two cornerstones of the 1986 Mets for a man who clearly didn’t want to be here, and was gone after just half a season. Not Frank Cashen’s finest hour.

Mookie Wilson for Jeff Musselman & Mike Brady (8/1/89)

Cashen compounded it a month and a half later by dealing the other Mets centerfielder, a guy who might have been even more popular than Staub. Just an unnecessary trade.

Mel Rojas for Bobby Bonilla (11/11/98)

Getting rid of Rojas was smart; taking back the hated Bonilla with two years left on his contract was not.

Rick Reed for Matt Lawton (7/30/01)

Steve Phillips had a thing for Matt Lawton for years for some reason. He finally got his man, sending away the very serviceable Reed. How much did Phillips really love Lawton? He traded him away in the off-season.

Scott Kazmir & Joselo Diaz for Victor Zambrano & Bartolome Fortunato (7/30/04)

Sure Kazmir flamed out, but before he did he had a dominant few years. The same cannot be said for Zambrano, whose lasting memory is of him sprinting off the mound with an injury after throwing what would be his final pitch for the Mets.

Xavier Nady for Oliver Perez & Roberto Hernandez (7/31/06)

The Omar Minaya panic trade left the Mets without a starting right fielder and ushered in the Oliver Perez era (or should I say error?). And Hernandez wasn’t really even needed.

Mug Shots courtesy Ultimate Mets Database