In February 2008, the Mets made a historic, franchise-changing trade with the Minnesota Twins, who sent their star left-hander Johan Santana east in exchange for Carlos Gómez, Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey. The Mets quickly signed Santana to a groundbreaking six-year, $137.5 million deal, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball at that time. Although many historians associate his peak dominance mainly with his years in Minnesota, it's a significant oversight to ignore the incredible, impactful performances he delivered for New York before his arm injuries.
Santana delivered an outstanding debut in 2008, pitching on short rest at the end of the season and totaling a career-high 234.1 innings. That summer, he reached a peak performance by going 16-7, winning the Major League ERA title with a remarkable 2.53, and setting a franchise record for strikeouts by a left-hander with 206. He finished third in the NL Cy Young voting. Interestingly, his overall 3.18 ERA during his time with the Mets is slightly lower than his legendary years with the Twins, indicating his elite ability to prevent runs.
Severe shoulder injuries and surgeries severely impacted Santana's athletic performance, causing him to miss the entire 2011 and 2013 seasons. Despite these setbacks, he achieved legendary status in franchise history through a remarkable, high-stakes game. On June 1, 2012, after a tough comeback, he took the mound at Citi Field against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ignoring pitch count limits, he dedicated himself completely, throwing 134 intense pitches to secure the first official no-hitter in New York Mets history.
That would be his last great moment in baseball, as the injuries became too much and he retired in 2014 after missing the 2013 campaign. With the Mets, Santana had a 46-34 record.
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