Fansided

Top 25 MLB trades of all time

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of a game at Citi Field on April 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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FLUSHING, NY – OCTOBER 27: Catcher Gary Carter #8 leads the cheers as the New York Mets start celebrating after defeating the Boston Red Sox in Game Seven of the World Series at Shea Stadium on October 27,1986 in Flushing, New York. The Mets defeated the Red Sox 8-5. (Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
FLUSHING, NY – OCTOBER 27: Catcher Gary Carter #8 leads the cheers as the New York Mets start celebrating after defeating the Boston Red Sox in Game Seven of the World Series at Shea Stadium on October 27,1986 in Flushing, New York. The Mets defeated the Red Sox 8-5. (Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images) /

22. Gary Carter to the Mets, 1984

  • Mets get: Gary Carter
  • Expos get: Hubie Brooks, Mike Fitzgerald, Herb Winningham, Floyd Youmans

Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez and Lenny Dykstra get remembered as the real stars of the 1986 New York Mets team that won the World Series, but Gary Carter was the heart and soul of that team and the great Mets teams of the mid-1980s. Carter was arguably the best catcher in baseball for a full decade. He went to 10 All-Star Games in a row and won five Silver Sluggers from 1979 to 1988.

Carter’s expressive personality never quite fit in with the Montreal Expos. The called him “Camera Carter” and Andre Dawson would openly bash him in the press. His enthusiasm and joy for the game of baseball would not be an issue in New York with the up-and-coming Mets.

In 1986, Carter was beginning to decline as a hitter. It would prove to be the last full season where he would finish with an OPS+ over 100 and slug over .400. He still drove in 105 runs and hit 24 homers, but it was clear that he was starting to lose something after routinely catching over 150 games for most of his career.

Even with the wear and tear of catching beginning to take their toll, Carter still produced some magic for the Mets in their run to the World Series. He came up with a big walk-off single in Game 5 of the NLCS and followed it up with two more hits in Game 6. In his first trip to the World Series, Carter hit two home runs and drove in nine. He played a key role in the team’s shocking rally in Game 6 and finished the series hitting .276/.267/.552. Carter went into the Hall of Fame as an Expo, but his more memorable career highlights came with the Mets.

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