Mets send Scott Kazmir and Jose Diaz to the Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano and Bartolome Fortunato (July 30, 2004)
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[edit] Summary
On June 15, 1977, the New York Mets traded away both Tom Seaver and Dave Kingman, in two separate deals. That day was, per Mets fans, the darkest day in the franchise's history.
July 30, 2004 comes close. With the Mets fighting against all odds for a playoff spot, GM Jim Duquette did the inexplicable, trading blue-chip prospect Scott Kazmir for... junk. Kazmir was probably as good as Victor Zambrano at the time, and would have been as much a benefit to the Shea squad as the Tampa Bay "ace."
The Mets front office pinned the blame for the trade on pitching coach Rick Peterson, who is often misquoted as saying he could fix Zambrano's control issues in "five minutes." The Mets front office also feared that Kazmir -- a short, flamethrowing lefty -- was destined for an injury-ridden career.
Duquette was re-assigned at the end of the year.
