2. OF Hubie Brooks, C Mike Fitzgerald, OF Herm Winningham, P Floyd Youmans to Montreal Expos for C Gary Carter (December, 1984)
It’s hard to estimate the value of a catcher’s chemistry with the pitching staff, but everyone in baseball knew what Carter brought to the table in that regard.
Instrumental to the success of an impressive 1986 rotation, Carter is credited with helping the group attain its level of comfort, despite the presence of young, inexperienced pitchers.
Carter was also fine with the bat, with a career 324 home runs and 1225 RBI. He was an All-Star in all but one of his seasons with the Mets, and though his career year came in 1985, he was still the same reliable backstop in ’86.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as an Expo in 2003…but Met fans know his true colors.
