With the Mets opening up a series in San Diego tonight, it behooves us to look back at the trade deadline and the actions of both teams. In the end, the Padres did what the Mets were seemingly afraid to do.
When the sun rose on July 31, both the Mets and Padres were seven games over .500, coming off hot streaks and tied for the final two Wild Card spots. They were a half-game behind the stumbling Braves, a half-game ahead of the surging Diamondbacks and two games ahead of the Pirates and Cardinals. It was a mess, but basically, all three Wild Card slots were there for the taking.