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Monday, December 27, 2021

What if Griffey had accepted that Mets trade?

This was how it was structured:

Mariners get: Octavio Dotel, Armando Benitez and Roger Cedeno

Mets get: Ken Griffey Jr.

The deal soon fell through, because Junior used his 10-and-5 rights to veto the trade.

Let’s hop in our time machine, though, and like the great explorers Bill and Ted, take a look at the six ways the baseball world would’ve changed if Griffey had said yes.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 27, 2021 at 05:48 PM | 7 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: ken griffey, jr., mets

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1. Adam Starblind Posted: December 28, 2021 at 02:26 PM (#6058841)

now the Mets don’t have the pieces to acquire the Astros’ Mike Hampton.

Bad assumption right off the bat. The Mets would not have had Dotel or Cedeno, but, uh, maybe the Stros would've agreed to someone other than Dotel and Cedeno? They still had a number of pieces left.

2. birdlives is one crazy ninja Posted: December 28, 2021 at 04:59 PM (#6058857)

maybe the Stros would've agreed to someone other than Dotel and Cedeno? They still had a number of pieces left.

Certainly replacing Dotel would have been manageable (Jason Isringhausen? Grant Roberts?) but Cedeno might have been a little more trickier. Alex Escobar was untouchable at the time and the Mets didn't have another young, major league player OF with Cedeno's perceived potential. Maybe Benny Agbayani would have worked even though he was 3 years older than Cedeno. Otherwise, the Mets would have dipped into one of their top tier prospects beyond Escobar to get the deal done.

3. JJ1986 Posted: December 28, 2021 at 05:27 PM (#6058861)

He wouldn't have reached the majors until probably 2002, but the Mets did have the late Brian Cole as a top outfield prospect in their system. And the Astros ended up throwing Cedeno into one of the Brad Ausmus trades so they didn't value his immediate availability that highly.

4. I don't want to talk about Rocco Posted: December 28, 2021 at 05:51 PM (#6058865)

Wasn't that still Shea Stadium? Could swear saw an interview with Junior where he said he loved hitting in Yankee Stadium but hated Shea.

5. RJ in TO Posted: December 28, 2021 at 05:56 PM (#6058868)

Certainly replacing Dotel would have been manageable (Jason Isringhausen? Grant Roberts?) but Cedeno might have been a little more trickier.

By the time of the Griffey trade, Isringhausen was both a busted prospect, and on the A's, so he probably wouldn't have been a good fit in place of Dotel.

6. birdlives is one crazy ninja Posted: December 28, 2021 at 07:21 PM (#6058877)

By the time of the Griffey trade, Isringhausen was both a busted prospect, and on the A's, so he probably wouldn't have been a good fit in place of Dotel.

Dotel was starting to look like a busted prospect at the time of the trade as well. He had ERA of 5.38, 14 starts, 85 IP in that season (his rookie season). It's a perfect comparison but I think there is somebody on the Mets roster who could take Dotel's place and Isringhausen came to mind.

7. Adam Starblind Posted: December 29, 2021 at 04:53 AM (#6058901)

Griffey would’ve made Jay Payton redundant. Have to think that gets it done

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Monday, December 27, 2021

What if Griffey had accepted that Mets trade?

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