Wes Gardner, who pitched for four teams across eight major league seasons and was involved in a blockbuster trade between the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox four decades ago, died on Wednesday. He was 65.

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Former Mets public relations director announced the Arkansas native’s death in a post on X.

“Wes Gardner, who pitched 30 games for the Mets in ‘84 and ‘85, passed away today at 65,” Horwitz wrote. “Gardner was in the majors for parts of eight seasons with the Mets, Red Sox, Padres and Royals. After the 1985 season he was part of a seven-player trade in which the Mets acquired Bobby Ojeda from Boston.”

Gardner had an 18-30 overall record with the Mets, Red Sox, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals between 1984 and 1991.

Gardner pitched for the University of Central Arkansas and was an All-AIC (Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference) selection for the Bears, leading the squad to two conference titles in three years.

He was a 22nd-round selection by the Mets in the 1984 draft.

Gardner was part of a seven-player deal between New York and Boston, Forbes reported.

Gardner, John Christensen, Calin Schiraldi and La Schelle Tarver were dealt to Boston for Bob Ojeda, Tom McCarthy, John Mitchell and Chris Bayer.

Ojeda was one of the pieces the Mets needed to win the World Series in 1986, posting an 18-5 record. The Mets would face the Red Sox in that season’s World Series.

But at the time of the deal, Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman said the team had big plans for Gardner, who used a no-windup routine to keep hitters off-stride.

“We see Gardner as a stopper out of the bullpen,” Gorman said, according to the Society for American Baseball Research. “We feel he’s the guy to come in in the eighth or ninth and get the last four or five hitters out. He’s going to be an impact pitcher.”

That did not happen in 1986, when he was placed on the disabled list early in the season and did not pitch. But in 1987, Gardner appeared in 49 games and collected 10 saves as a part-time closer.

He moved into the starting rotation in 1988 and posted an 8-6 record with a 3.50 ERA.

On Aug. 27, 1989, Gardner suffered a fractured cheekbone after he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Detroit’s Mike Brumley, according to the Society for American Baseball Research. He was forced to go on the 21-day disabled list.

Gardner slumped to back-to-back 3-7 seasons before he was traded to San Diego in 1991. He ended his career with the Royals later in the season.

Gardner was inducted into the University of Central Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. After baseball, he worked as a master electrician in his hometown of Benton.

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