The Cubs were paying McRae $3.9 million for but his numbers declined and the Cubs were sinking to the bottom of the division. On April 4, McRae was the batter for the first pitch ever thrown at Turner Field. 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.