To be fair, Ryan had been a bit wild as a young pitcher plus the Mets were very deep with Seaver, Koosman and Gentry. They felt that Fregosi could add some punch to their lineup.
The trade paid off because the Mets won the NL pennant in 1973. On the other hand, the Angels had to wait until 1979 for a championship.
Ryan was a strikeout king for much of the 1970's before signing with the Astros and ending his career with the Rangers.
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