The Royals Steal Amos Otis from the Mets

On December 3, 1969, the Kansas City Royals traded third baseman Joe Foy to the New York Mets for outfielder Amos Otis and pitcher Bob Johnson. The Mets, fresh off their miracle World Series victory, let go of a player who would become one of the best in Royals franchise history.

Otis had struggled in limited time with the Mets, hitting just .151 in 48 games. New York's front office saw him as expendable, especially with the defending champions looking to add a proven bat at third base. Foy had hit 11 home runs for Kansas City in 1969 and seemed like a solid return.

The evaluation proved disastrously wrong for the Mets. Foy lasted one season in New York, hitting .236 before the team released him. Otis, meanwhile, became the everyday center fielder in Kansas City and thrived. In his first full season, he hit .284 with 11 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting.

Otis spent 14 seasons with the Royals, accumulating 193 home runs, 341 stolen bases, and five All-Star selections. He was the most consistent offensive player on Kansas City's roster during the 1970s, a decade when the Royals transformed from an expansion franchise into a perennial contender. He hit .478 in the 1980 World Series against Philadelphia, the best individual performance of that Fall Classic despite the Royals losing in six games.

General manager Cedric Tallis built the early Royals through shrewd trades, but none paid off like this one. The Mets gave away a franchise player for a third baseman who was gone within a year.