Brian Mc Rae - Journeyman

Journeyman

In 1994, McRae's salary jumped from less than $400,000 to $1.9 million. He was in the top ten in the American League in singles and stolen bases when the 1994 strike ended the season in August. Shortly before the strike ended in April 1995, McRae was traded to the Chicago Cubs for two players who combined to play only eight games in the majors after the trade. He responded to the trade by finishing fourth in the National League with 167 hits, and second with a career-high 38 doubles while leading the league with 580 at bats. In 1996, he set career highs with 111 runs scored and 37 stolen bases while being caught stealing only nine times for a career-best 80% success rate.

The Cubs were paying McRae $3.9 million for 1997 but his numbers declined and the Cubs were sinking to the bottom of the division. In August, they traded him with Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell to the New York Mets in exchange for Lance Johnson, Mark Clark and Manny Alexander. McRae's statistics stayed largely below the league average for the rest of the season. The Mets missed the postseason for the ninth consecutive season.

Although his numbers declined in 1997, in 1998, McRae led the Mets in doubles, triples and stolen bases while setting career highs in home runs, RBI, walks and slugging. He also led the team in caught stealing and strikeouts. On September 14, McRae hit a dramatic game-tying two-run home run in the ninth inning off the Houston Astros' ace closer, Billy Wagner. The Mets went on to win that game but narrowly missed the playoffs.

In 1999, McRae was still being paid over $3.5 million but was batting only .221 for the Mets. At the trade deadline, New York traded him with Rigo Beltrán and a minor leaguer to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Darryl Hamilton and Chuck McElroy (the Mets went on to reach the 1999 NLCS). Just nine days later, McRae was re-traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a minor leaguer. After hitting just .195 for Toronto, he was benched in favor of Vernon Wells. After the season, McRae was granted free agency and his career was over.