Incredibly, the New York Mets actually made a big splash at this year’s Trade Deadline. General Manager Sandy Alderson pulled off three significant trades, including one with 10 minutes to go to acquire the stud outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers. The fan base has been imploring the front office for weeks to pull off trades to make the Mets serious contenders, and it looks like they have done just that. Kudos to Alderson, owner Fred Wilpon and COO Jeff Wilpon for digging into their pockets to help the team contend, hopefully, into September.

There were teams that made bigger moves, of course. The Toronto Blue Jays acquired the top shortstop in the game, Troy Tulowitzki and an ace starting pitcher in David Price, as well as speedy outfielder Ben Revere and shutdown reliever Mark Lowe. The Houston Astros landed top-flight pitcher Scott Kazmir and superstar outfielder Carlos Gomez (only after a potential deal with the Mets fell through). It’s clear that the Mets didn’t get the biggest names, but they are still the winners of the Trade Deadline.

Why? It’s not because of who they got, but rather what they did not give up.

In the three deals that they made, the Mets got rid of of 5 young pitching prospects. While it’s never a good idea to get rid of young pitching, that’s certainly the deepest part of the Mets’ prospect base (have you seen the rotation this year?). These pitchers aren’t on the team’s radar as potential call-ups for several years, and are not ranked highly in the farm system. Only after a strong first half of the season did Michael Fulmer and Casey Meisner crack Amazin Avenue’s top 10. Fulmer, who started this season at high-A Port St. Lucie, is tearing up AA Binghamton, with a 1.88 ERA in 86 innings. He figures to be a back-end of the rotation start if and when he reaches the big leagues. Casey Meisner, who just turned 20, is pitching to the tune of a respectable, but not awe-inspiring, 2.83 ERA since his promotion to Port St. Lucie.

The other three prospects, headlined by Luis Cessa, are not ones to call home about. Cessa has an 8.51 ERA since being promoted to AAA Las Vegas, and has allowed 10.4 hits per 9 innings this season. Cessa is also one year older than current phenom Noah Syndergaard. The 21-year old Rob Whalen has not progressed past the high-A club, and has regressed from a 1.94 ERA last year to a 3.20 ERA this year. John Gant, who I’ve admittedly never heard of, has struggled at AA this year, with a 4.70 ERA in 11 starts before being traded.

They didn’t get rid of any of their top non-pitching prospects, including Michael Conforto, who has seen MLB time this season, and Amed Rosario, who is supposedly the shortstop of the future. None of the “big four”, meaning Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, or Noah Syndergaard, were traded either, so their core of starting pitching will remain intact for years to come.

Obviously, there was some consideration that a couple of current major-leaguers could be shipped off elsewhere. The speculation during the proposed Gomez deal was that Zack Wheeler and Wilmer Flores would be shipped to Milwaukee. When Gomez found out about the trade via the fans, he broke down and began to cry on-field (I chronicled his strange night here). It turn out that the trade fell through, and Flores is still here. Wheeler was still being shopped around as late as yesterday afternoon, when he called Alderson and pleaded his case. According to Alderson, the call “actually had quite an impact…He really expressed his desire to remain a Met, his excitement for being part of the organization and being part of what is happening here.”

All told, the Mets got to keep both Flores and Wheeler, and it is definitely for the better. These are two young pieces that have devoted their heart and soul to the organization. After this near life-changing experience, Wheeler and Flores will play with the passion and fire that they used to become two sought-after prospects. Flores got his chance as a 16 year-old in Venezuela, when the Mets signed him on his birthday. He started the season as the starting shortstop, but has moved over to second base and is having one of the better years for a Mets hitter,with a .251 average and 11 homers (he hit a walk-off homer just two days after the Gomez deal fell through). Wheeler was a 21-year old stud when he was traded from the Giants system to New York in the Carlos Beltran deal. He emerged last year as a reliable righty who can provide veteran leadership to the young staff when he returns from Tommy John surgery next year, even though he is still only 25.

The Mets added some key pieces for the stretch run, but it is those who remain Mets that will stay with the team that will have to most positive impact not only now, but for the next 3 or 4 years. Their window of opportunity is just beginning to open, and the pieces that are still in Flushing will be a part of the front office’s plan to become perennial contenders.