1998 New York Mets Trades and Transactions

Transactions listed are from October 1 of previous year to April 1 of the following year.

• November 18, 1997

  Cory Lidle selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks as the 13th pick in the 1997 expansion draft.

  Carlos Mendoza selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as the 52nd pick in the 1997 expansion draft.

• November 24, 1997

  Signed John Olerud as a free agent.

• December 6, 1997

  Signed Mike Fyhrie as a free agent.

  Signed Todd Haney as a free agent.

• December 12, 1997

  Traded Alex Ochoa to the Minnesota Twins. Received Rich Becker.

• December 15, 1997

  Brian Edmondson drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1997 rule 5 draft.

  Traded Mike Welch to the Philadelphia Phillies. Received Héctor Mercado.

• December 18, 1997

  Traded Fletcher Bates (minors) and Scott Comer (minors) to the Florida Marlins. Received Dennis Cook.

• December 19, 1997

  Signed Shawn Gilbert as a free agent.

  Signed Ricky Trlicek as a free agent.

• December 22, 1997

  Traded Carl Everett to the Houston Astros. Received John Hudek.

• December 23, 1997

  Signed Craig Paquette as a free agent.

• December 26, 1997

  Signed Jim Tatum as a free agent.

• December 27, 1997

  Kevin Tolar granted Free Agency.

• January 6, 1998

  Signed Jae Weong Seo as an amateur free agent.

• January 8, 1998

  Signed Tim Spehr as a free agent.

  Released Joe Crawford.

• January 13, 1998

  Signed Masato Yoshii as a free agent.

• January 24, 1998

  Signed Efrain Valdez as a free agent.

• February 5, 1998

  Traded Roberto Petagine to the Cincinnati Reds. Received Yuri Sanchez (minors).

• February 6, 1998

  Traded Rob Stratton (minors), A.J. Burnett and Jesús Sánchez to the Florida Marlins. Received Al Leiter and Ralph Milliard.

• February 10, 1998

  Traded Joe Lisio (minors) to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Received Mike Bell.

• February 17, 1998

  Signed Nelson Cruz as an amateur free agent.

• March 14, 1998

  Signed Chad Fonville as a free agent.

• March 20, 1998

  Traded a player to be named later and Brandon Villafuerte to the Florida Marlins. Received Rob Stratton (minors). The New York Mets sent César Crespo (September 12, 1998) to the Florida Marlins to complete the trade.

• March 26, 1998

  Chad Fonville granted Free Agency.

• March 28, 1998

  Traded Juan Acevedo to the St. Louis Cardinals. Received Rigo Beltrán.

• May 8, 1998

  Traded Lindsay Gulin (minors) to the Seattle Mariners. Received Rick Wilkins.

• May 10, 1998

  Signed Steve Decker as a free agent.

• May 22, 1998

  Traded Geoff Goetz (minors), Preston Wilson and Ed Yarnall to the Florida Marlins. Received Mike Piazza.

• May 26, 1998

  Efrain Valdez player rights sold to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

• June 2, 1998

  Drafted Jason Tyner in the 1st round (21st pick) of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed July 8, 1998.

  Drafted Pat Strange in the 2nd round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed July 29, 1998.

  Drafted Craig Brazell in the 5th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 4, 1998.

  Drafted Ryan Budde in the 12th round of the 1998 amateur draft, but did not sign the player.

  Drafted Gil Velazquez in the 14th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 23, 1998.

  Drafted Ty Wigginton in the 17th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 3, 1998.

  Drafted Jaime Cerda in the 23rd round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed May 25, 1999.

  Drafted Earl Snyder in the 36th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 5, 1998.

• June 4, 1998

  Traded Greg McMichael and Dave Mlicki to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Received Brad Clontz and Hideo Nomo.

• June 10, 1998

  Traded Shawn Gilbert to the St. Louis Cardinals. Received Wayne Kirby.

• June 16, 1998

  Signed Heath Bell as an amateur free agent.

  Rich Becker selected by the Baltimore Orioles off waivers.

• June 20, 1998

  Signed Rubén Sierra as a free agent.

• July 3, 1998

  Signed Josías Manzanillo as a free agent.

  Traded John Hudek to the Cincinnati Reds. Received Lenny Harris.

• July 9, 1998

  Signed Jerrod Riggan as a free agent.

• July 10, 1998

  Traded Brian Bohanon to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Received Greg McMichael and cash.

• July 15, 1998

  Signed Wily Mo Peña as an amateur free agent.

• July 24, 1998

  Signed Melvin Mora as a free agent.

• July 31, 1998

  Traded Nelson Figueroa, Bernard Gilkey and cash to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Received Willie Blair, Jorge Fábregas and cash.

  Traded Leo Estrella to the Toronto Blue Jays. Received Tony Phillips.

  Traded Bill Pulsipher to the Milwaukee Brewers. Received Mike Kinkade.

• August 5, 1998

  Signed Enrique Cruz as an amateur free agent.

• August 10, 1998

  Traded a player to be named later to the Kansas City Royals. Received Jermaine Allensworth. The New York Mets sent cash (September 3, 1998) to the Kansas City Royals to complete the trade.

• August 31, 1998

  Tim Spehr player rights sold to the Kansas City Royals.

• September 1, 1998

  Purchased Carlos Pulido from Somerset (Atlantic).

• September 7, 1998

  Signed Jorge Toca as an amateur free agent.

• September 16, 1998

  Released Wayne Kirby.

• October 15, 1998

  Alberto Castillo granted Free Agency.

  Brad Clontz granted Free Agency.

  Steve Decker granted Free Agency.

  Mike Fyhrie granted Free Agency.

  Todd Haney granted Free Agency.

  Josías Manzanillo granted Free Agency.

  Craig Paquette granted Free Agency.

  Jim Tatum granted Free Agency.

  Rick Wilkins granted Free Agency.

• October 16, 1998

  Melvin Mora granted Free Agency.

  Carlos Pulido granted Free Agency.

  Rubén Sierra granted Free Agency.

• October 23, 1998

  Dennis Cook granted Free Agency.

• October 26, 1998

  Carlos Baerga granted Free Agency.

  Armando Reynoso granted Free Agency.

• October 28, 1998

  Tony Phillips granted Free Agency.

• October 31, 1998

  Lenny Harris granted Free Agency.

• November 11, 1998

  Traded Mel Rojas to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Received Bobby Bonilla.

• November 18, 1998

  Signed Dennis Cook as a free agent.

  Signed Andy Tomberlin as a free agent.

• November 20, 1998

  Traded Jorge Fábregas to the Florida Marlins. Received Óscar Henríquez.

• December 1, 1998

  Signed Robin Ventura as a free agent.

  Traded Charles Johnson to the Baltimore Orioles. Received Armando Benítez.

  Traded Arnie Gooch (minors) and Todd Hundley to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Received Roger Cedeño and Charles Johnson.

• December 4, 1998

  Traded Willie Blair to the Detroit Tigers. Received Joe Randa.

• December 10, 1998

  Traded Joe Randa to the Kansas City Royals. Received Juan LeBron (minors).

• December 14, 1998

  Scott Sauerbeck drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1998 rule 5 draft.

  Signed Todd Haney as a free agent.

  Traded Butch Huskey to the Seattle Mariners. Received Leslie Brea.

• December 16, 1998

  Signed Rickey Henderson as a free agent.

• December 18, 1998

  Signed Josías Manzanillo as a free agent.

  Signed Craig Paquette as a free agent.

• December 21, 1998

  Signed Pat Mahomes as a free agent.

• January 19, 1999

  Signed Allen Watson as a free agent.

• February 2, 1999

  Signed Melvin Mora as a free agent.

• February 4, 1999

  Traded Ralph Milliard to the Cincinnati Reds. Received Mark Corey.

• February 28, 1999

  Free agent signing of Wily Mo Peña voided.

• March 23, 1999

  Traded Jonathan Guzman (minors) to the Kansas City Royals. Received Shane Halter.

• March 25, 1999

  Signed Orel Hershiser as a free agent.

• March 26, 1999

  Released Hideo Nomo.

• March 28, 1999

  Purchased Juan Cerros from Reynosa (Mexican).