With the non-waiver trade deadline only 48 hours away, here is a list of Mets trades made at or just prior to the July 31 trade deadline for the last 10 years. After reviewing these deals you can see that the deadline is rarely as exciting as it is cracked up to be.

2007—

7/30 Mets trade catcher Drew Butera and outfielder Dustin Martin to Twins for second baseman Luis Castillo.

2006—

7/31 Mets traded outfielder Xavier Nady to Pirates for right handed pitcher Roberto Hernandez and left handed pitcher Oliver Perez.

2005 – No deadline trades

2004—

7/30 Mets trade left handed pitcher Scott Kasmir and right handed pitcher Joselo Diaz to Tampa Bay for right handed pitchers Victor Zambrano and Bartolome Fortunato. Mets also traded infielder Ty Wigginton, outfielder Jose Bautista, and right handed pitcher Matt Peterson to the Pirates in exchange for right handed pitcher Kris Benson and second baseman Jeff Keppinger

7/31 Mets trade right handed pitcher Scott Erickson to the Rangers for Josh Hoffpauir.

2003—

7/28 Mets trade left handed pitcher Graeme Lloyd to the Royals for right handed pitcher Jeremy Hill.

7/29 Mets trade shortstop Rey Sanchez to the Mariners for outfielder Kenny Kelly.

There was a flurry of trades made earlier in July ’03 that included sending Armando Benitez to the Yankees, Jeromy Burnitz to the Dodgers, and Roberto Alomar to the White Sox.

2002—

7/31 Mets trade left handed pitcher Bobby M. Jones, outfielder Jason Bay, and right handed pitcher Josh Reynolds to the Padres for right handed pitchers Jason Middlebrook and Steve Reed. Mets also traded right handed pitcher Mark Corey, and outfielders Jay Payton and Robert Stratton to the Rockies for right handed pitcher John Thompson and outfielder Mark Little.

2001—

7/30 Mets trade right handed pitcher Rick Read to the Twins for outfielder Matt Lawton.

7/27 Mets trade right handed pitcher Turk Wendell and left handed pitcher Dennis Cook to the Phillies for left handed pitchers Bruce Chen and Adam Walker. A few days earlier catcher and 1999 NLDS hero Todd Pratt was traded to the Phillies for Gary Bennett.

2000—

7/28 Mets trade shortstop Melvin Mora, utility player Mike Kinkade, and right handed pitchers Lesli Brea and Pat Gorman to the Orioles for shortstop Mike Bordick. The Mets also traded right handed pitcher Paul Wilson and outfielder Jason Tyner to the Devil Rays for outfielder Bubba Trammell and right handed pitcher Rick White.

1999—

7/31 Mets traded utility player Craig Paquette to the Cardinals for outfielder Shawon Dunston.  The Mets also traded right handed pitchers Jason Isringhausen and Greg McMichael to the A’s for right handed pitcher Billy Taylor. A third trade on this date also saw outfielders Brian McRae and Tom Johnson, plus left handed pitcher Rigo Beltran go to the Rockies for outfielder Darryl Hamilton and left handed pitcher Chuck McElroy.

7/25 Mets trade outfielder Terrance Long and pitcher Leonor Vasquez to the A’s for left handed pitcher Kenny Rogers.

1998—

7/31 Mets trade left handed pitcher Bill Pulsipher to the Brewers for utility player Mike Kinkade. The Mets also trade pitcher Leoncio Estrella to the Blue Jays for outfielder Tony Phillips. In a third trade on this date the Mets sent outfielder Bernard Gilkey and pitcher Nelson Figueroa (who finally made his first start for the Mets this season) to the Diamondbacks for right handed pitcher Willie Blair and catcher Jorge Fabregas.

As you can see, there really were no block busters on the trade deadline. Mike Piazza was acquired in May of 1998, two months before the deadline. The worst trade at the deadline in recent history has to be the Kazmir disaster of 2004. In 06’ the Mets acquisition of Oliver Perez proved to be an excellent deal even though it cost them Xavier Nady. Without Perez, the Mets would not have reached as deep into the playoffs as they did that season.

The best trade at the deadline in Mets history had to be in 1983 when the Mets acquired first baseman Keith Hernandez from the Cardinals for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey. The worst trade was undoubtedly 6 years earlier when the Mets sent the Franchise, Tom Seaver to the Reds for pitcher Pat Zachery, second baseman Doug Flynn, and outfielders Steve Henderson and Dan Norman. Both trades occurred on June 15 which was the trading deadline back then.

So if you think the Mets will make a blockbuster deal before the trade deadline expires at 4:00PM Eastern on Thursday, history shows the odds are against it.