The New York Mets traded Pete Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs in 2021 for Javier Báez, Trevor Williams and cash.
Báez was the biggest name in the trade at the time, and he played well for the Mets, hitting .299 with an .886 OPS in 2021 after the trade. However, the Mets missed the postseason and Báez signed with the Detroit Tigers in the offseason.
Crow-Armstrong was the Mets' No. 5 prospect at the time of the trade and eventually became the Cubs' top prospect. Now, he is likely to become the 2026 National League MVP. Crow-Armstrong has put together a 44-home-run season and is three stolen bases away from 40 steals as well. He has a 9.6 bWAR and leads the National League in OPS.
He was an All-Star for the second consecutive season and has already signed a six-year, $115 million extension with the Cubs. He looks like he will be a star for years to come, and it's very clear that the Mets made a mistake by trading him.
This is not the first time a prospect has been dealt at the deadline, only to go on to become a superstar. However, considering that the Mets will miss the postseason this year and Crow-Armstrong has a chance to lead the Cubs on a deep postseason run, it's not a good look.
The last two seasons have not been good for the Mets. Seeing Crow-Armstrong win National League MVP will solidify the fact that the Mets made a terrible decision by trading him. Had the Mets gone on a deep run with Báez in 2021 or kept him around, it may be a different story. However, the only real way to justify trading away a future MVP is by winning a World Series with the pieces received.