Remembering the 1977 Jon Matlack 4-Way Deal

If you ask most fans to name a four-team deal, the one that jumps to mind is the 2004 deal among the Red Sox, Twins, Cubs and Expos that sent Nomar Garciaparra out of Boston and brought Orlando Cabrera, Doug Mientkiewicz and a World Series title to the Red Sox. But the one that jumps to my mind is the one where the Mets traded Jon Matlack. At the Winter Meetings in Hawaii in December of 1977, the Braves, Mets, Pirates and Rangers completed an 11-player swap that caught just about everyone off guard. According to Randy Galloway of The Sporting News, the blockbuster deal occurred thanks to a chance meeting between Mets manager Joe Torre and Rangers owner Brad Corbett. Torre asked Corbett if he had any interest in first baseman John Milner. Corbett said he did, but they could not agree on a fair price. The Rangers owner invited Torre to bring the rest of the Mets’ brass in on the discussion. While the Mets and Rangers were meeting, Ted Turner of the Braves walked by and got in on the t...