It was 25 years ago Tuesday Darryl Strawberry, the first legitimate home-grown position-playing superstar in Mets history took his talents to Los Angeles as a free agent, signing for five years and $20.25 million bucks. The Mets offered $15.5, clearly not interested in keeping him.
A few years ago, I was interviewing Strawberry on the phone and he said going to LA is something he wishes he could take back. I'm sure if you asked the Mets a few years after he walked, they would say the same thing.
Shortly after Straw left, the Mets, looking to fill the void, signed Vince Coleman to a four-year, $12M deal.