Thursday Trade Tracker: Miami Marlins. A Game 163 Shutout, 9 RBI against the Yankees, and the Greatest Hitting Catcher of All-Time!

The history of trades between the Mets and Marlins is a fascinating study in division dynamics - a rare case where two rivals have frequently served as each other's most prolific business partners. While most teams are hesitant to hand a silver bullet to a direct competitor, the Mets and Marlins have spent decades swapping franchise icons, All-Stars, and top prospects in deals that have reshaped both organizations.

From the fire sales in South Beach to the "win now" gambles in Queens, the transaction wire between these two has produced some of the most impactful deals in National League East history.

And while it may seem the Mets have won many of these deals, dagger-through-the-heart victories in last games of seasons have had Miami laughing last.

The Marlins' trades were the keys to the 1999-2000 post-season Mets and the 2006 NL East Champions.

May 22, 1998. Mets get C Mike Piazza for pitchers Ed Yarnall, Geoff Goetz, and OF Preston Wilson.

Before we get to the second Mets cap in Cooperstown, here is something to ponder: The Mets won this trade right? RIGHT? The Marlins' trade tree is rarely discussed. Ed Yarnell was soon traded to the Yankees for 3B Mike Lowell. From 2000-2004, Lowell was one of the most productive third basemen in baseball. He led in doubles, was fifth in RBI, and seventh in homers. In 2003, he hit 32 homers and 105 RBI, winning a Silver Slugger. He was a key member of their 2003 World Champion team. Lowell was eventually shipped to Boston for Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez ranks second All-Time on the club's WAR list.

Preston Wilson hit 31 homers and drove in 121 runs in 2000! Mets Maniacs know he was Mookie's stepson. Your youthful author was visiting Spring Training in 1985 (future article!) when I saw 10-year-old Preston racing with his Dad. Even at 10, anyone could see young Preston had the makings of a world class athlete.

The Marlins eventually flipped him to Colorado for Juan Pierre, the starting centerfielder for the Champions. Pierre was truly an underrated sparkplug. He garnered 204 hits with 65 stolen bases in that magical 2003 year.

I'm not saying Miami won the trade. But they won a World Series. Darn, I may have to rethink this.

Piazza became the hard-hitting legend. Piazza hit .419 over his first seven games as a Met, with the team winning all 7. He hit .348 with a 1.024 OPS over 109 games. The Mets were well positioned for a 1998 Wild Card, but they lost the last 5 games. A sad, familiar outcome.

Piazza only played five games with the Marlins after his time with the Dodgers. Piazza hit 37% of his career homers (157) when his team was behind on the scoreboard. He is one of only 7 players to homer in 40 different ballparks. Here's a good one...Piazza is one of two players with 200 hits while playing at least half of their games as a catcher. The other? Joseph Paul Torre in 1973. One more! Piazza is one of 5 Hall of Famers to play for three teams in one season, joining Phil Niekro, Steve Carlton, Lloyd Waner, and Burleigh Grimes.

Piazza signed a $91 million contract to stay with the Mets, the richest deal in baseball history at the time. In 1999, he led the club in homers (40), RBI (124 - the club record until Pete Alonso) and OPS (.936), and the Mets won the Wild Card. In 2000. Big Mike hit 38 homers with 113 RBI, again leading the Mets to the post-season. He finished third in MVP balloting. Piazza made the last out of the World Series, hitting a deep fly to center, which would have, could have, should have been the tying run. He spent 8 years as a Met, making 6 All-Star teams and winning 4 Silver Slugger Awards. He is third in franchise history with 220 homers and 655 RBI. He is second in OPS (John Olerud). Mike was finally elected to the Hall of Fame on his fourth try with 83%.

His 1999 and 2000 teams are the first teams in Mets history to appear in the post season in back-to-back years.

With Tom Seaver deceased, it is Piazza who is presently announced last in all Mets Historical functions.

TEACHER SAYS A. Mets got a Hall of Famer! But Florida, Miami, South Beach...ya did good.

February 6, 1998. Mets get LHP Al Leiter and INF Ralph Milliard for OF Rob Stratton and pitchers A.J. Burnett and Jesus Sanchez.

The Mets continued to capitalize on the Marlins' post-championship fire sale. Leiter is in the Mets Hall of Fame and is one of the most successful pitchers in team history. He is 5th in WAR, 6th in wins, 7th in winning percentage, 7th in innings pitched, 8th in strikeouts and 6th in starts. Almost all of the names ahead of him --, Seaver, Koosman, Gooden, Darling, Matlack, and deGrom -- are already Mets royalty.

Leiter, a New Jersey native, is often given credit for bringing over his friend Piazza. Leiter pitched the Mets into the playoffs in 1999, throwing a brilliant two-hit shutout in a rare Game 163 tiebreaker. His seven strikeout, 135-pitch masterpiece with the entire season on the line was as clutch a pitching performance in Mets history. They hadn't been to the playoffs in 11 years.

Leiter's other heroic performance came in Game 5 in the 2000 World Series (I really hate having to bring it up). After keeping the Yankees to 2 runs through 8.2 innings to preserve a tie, he gave up a ridiculous 245-hop dribbler to light hitting of all light hitters, Luis Sojo on his 142nd and final pitch. It brought home the tie breaking and World Series winning run. Sojo would make Buddy Harrelson look like Dave Kingman. I can still see backup shortstop Kurt Abbott flailing away at the slow motion ball carelessly hopping through the grass. Abbott only played 6 more games the rest of his career. (He was most successful during his 4 years as a Marlin). Could Harrelson or injured Rey Ordonez have stopped it? Don't insult them! Ertswhile shortstops Kevin Mitchell or HoJo would have eaten that up alive.

Stratton was a first round pick. He was absolutely a monster, at 6 foot 4 and 250 pounds. But his equally monstrous swing couldn't connect nearly enough. He never made it. Sanchez started 83 games and showed flashes of potential, including two shutouts. Burnett was a power arm for 17 years with 5 teams. He won 164 games with over 2,500 strikeouts (39th all-time!!). He is probably best known for a no-hitter with nine walks! That includes walking every starting player except one. He threw a Santana-like 129 pitches.

TEACHER SAYS B. Leiter was a winner and Mets Hall of Famer, but Burnett pitched for a long time with that golden arm and even helped another New York team win a World Series a long, long, long, long time ago!

November 24, 2005. Mets get 1B Carlos Delgado for 1B Mike Jacobs and P Yusmeiro Petit.

Is Delgado the most underrated, overlooked slugger in history? Hard to believe, but he started as a catcher and left fielder with Toronto. But as soon as that 30-40 homer bat started to explode, he was moved to first. He had 9 seasons of over 100 RBI, with a high of 145 with the Jays. His total of 473 home runs is one of the highest non-steroid (that we know of) totals ever. Of his 4 Mets years, two are some of the best ever in Mets history, with copycat years of 38 HR, 114 RBI and 38 HR, 115 RBI. His only postseason play was in 2006 for the Mets. In two series (10 games and 37 at bats combined), he hit .351 with 4 homers and 11 RBI! Are the 2026 Mets at a combined team total of 4 homers and 11 RBI yet?

On June 27, 2008 he set a Mets record with 9 RBI at Yankee Stadium. It included a grand slam. Brandon Nimmo tied the record with his own 9-RBI game in 2025.

Delgado is the all-time leader in homers and RBI for a Puerto Rican born player. He holds many Toronto team records, including homers, RBI, slugging percentage, and total bases. From 1997 to 2006, he hit 30 home runs for 10 consecutive seasons. Look at who joins him on that list: Barry Bonds, Jimmie Foxx, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and Sammy Sosa. That's the kind of company Carlos Delgado keeps. Should he have been elected to the Hall this year over Jeff Kent? Tell us in the commenst section.

Jacobs hit a homer as a Met in his first major league at-bat. He had a 32 homer, 93 RBI year in 2008 with Florida. Petit pitched 17 years in the bigs. Are you surprised? Mostly a reliever, he pitched in 515 games. He was a member of the 2014 World Champion Giants.

TEACHER SAYS A. Delgado was a powerhouse who received MVP votes twice fr the Mets. An injury curtailed his career.

December 5, 2005. Mets get C Paul LoDuca for two minor leaguers.

The Brooklyn-born LoDuca was a big bat for the powerhouse 2006 NL East Champions. He was named an All-Star and hit .318 and a career high .355 OBP. He was known as one of the toughest batters to strike out. In 2006, he had 512 at bats, but only struck out 38 times! That's a weekend for Mark Vientos.

You might remember that play in the 2006 playoffs when LoDuca tagged out two Dodger runners, Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew, both trying to come home at the same time! Following a Russell Martin double, the Mets' relay went from Shawn Green (no relation) to Jose Valentin to LoDuca. One of the most incredible post-season plays in Mets history.

In 2007, he was named in the Mitchell Report in connection with HGH use. He allegedly received it from notorious Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski.

TEACHER SAYS A. Florida continued giving stars to the Mets... so the Mets said "Thank you" and went to the playoffs.

December 18, 1997. Mets get LHP Dennis Cook for two minor leaguers.

Perhaps Bobby Valentine's most incredible stroke of genius happened during the Robin Ventura Grand Slam single game in the 1999 playoffs. In the top of the 7th with a runner on second, two outs, and lefty Ryan Klesko due up, Bobby V replaced Turk Wendell (Turk-ules!) (say it like Hurcules) with the lefty Cook. Although righty Brian Jordan was up, Bobby intended to walk him to get to lefty Greg Myers hitting for Klesko. Jordan already had two balls on the count from Turk, but Bobby had Cook throw two intentional balls to Jordan. Cook was replaced by Pat Mahomes (The Dad of the KC Chief), who got out of the inning.

In his first two Met seasons, Cook appeared in 144 games and won 18 as a lefty specialist!

TEACHER SAYS A+. Cookie was one tough Texan. In 19 post season games with the Mets and Florida, Cook threw 16.1 innings, allowing only 5 hits and NO RUNS!

Other cool names from Mets-Marlins transactions: Robert Person, Quilvio Veras, Carl Everett, Matt Lindstrom, Jason Vargas (not cool), Jake Mangum, David Robertson, and Huascar Brazoban.

What are your memories of the great Piazza? Mets Hall of Famer Leiter? The Grand Slam single game? Let us know in the comments!