2008 New York Mets season
The 2008 New York Mets season was the team’s 47th. They finished 89-73, in second place in the National League East, three games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and one game behind the Brewers for the wild card. The Mets were eliminated from the playoffs on the last day of the regular season by the Florida Marlins. It was the first time since 1993 they missed the postseason, and it came just after the Yankees were already out of contention.
2008 was also the Mets’ last year playing at Shea Stadium, as they moved to Citi Field in 2009.
Offseason moves changed the team a lot. After a disappointing 2007 finish, Tom Glavine left for Atlanta. Moisés Alou’s option was picked up, and Damion Easley was re-signed. The Mets initially pursued Yorvit Torrealba to replace Paul Lo Duca, but the deal fell through. Lu is Castillo joined the Mets as a new second baseman. Guillermo Mota was traded to Milwaukee for catcher Johnny Estrada, who did not end up staying with the team. The Mets then traded Lastings Milledge to the Nationals for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. Ángel Pagán was added to the outfield depth. The biggest move came on January 29, when the Mets acquired Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins, signing him to a six-year, $137.5 million contract with an option for another year.
Spring training brought questions about the rotation and health. Duaner Sánchez was coming back from shoulder surgery, and Pedro Martínez and Orlando Hernández were dealing with past injuries. By Opening Day, Martínez was healthy, but Sánchez and Hernández started the season on the disabled list. There were several injuries in March, including Ryan Church’s concussion, Ramón Castro’s hamstring issue, and delayed starts for Beltrán and Castillo due to knee surgeries. Moisés Alou also had hernia surgery and started late.
The Mets opened the season with Johan Santana, Pedro Martínez, John Maine, Óliver Pérez, and Mike Pelfrey in the rotation. The bullpen was considered the weaker part of the team. The everyday lineup featured Brian Schneider behind the plate, Carlos Delgado at first, Luis Castillo at second, José Reyes at shortstop, David Wright at third, Ángel Pagán in the outfield, Carlos Beltrán in center, and Ryan Church in right. Endy Chávez and Marlon Anderson were part of the bench, with Damion Easley and Raúl Casanova also available. Rubén Gotay was sent to the Braves after losing his roster spot.
Overall, the 2008 Mets were a strong club that couldn’t quite reach the playoffs, finished a few games behind the top teams, and marked the end of an era at Shea Stadium.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:05 (CET).