One of the best pitchers in baseball, powerhouse left-hander Santana was signed by the Mets to a $137.5 million, six-year deal in 2008 in order to help Mets fans forget the team's pitiful late season collapse in 2007.

Born in Venezuela, Santana wanted to play center field, but a scout from the Houston Astros insisted that he pitch, and he certainly made the right call: with two Cy Young Awards under his belt during his six years with the Minnesota Twins, Santana was one of the most fear-inducing pitchers during the mid-aughts and was signed by the New York Mets in 2008 to help revive the suffering ballclub. Although he pitched well when he joined the Mets, the team was plagued by injuries and failed to factor into the standings—in fact, Santana missed the entire 2011 season due to a shoulder surgery. By 2012, the Mets had lost many of their best players, like José Reyes and Carlos Beltran, and while they have yet to make major strides in their division since their notorious 2007 final stretch, Santana achieved a franchise milestone in 2012, delivering the first no-hitter in Mets history. [Image via Getty]