Is there something in the water?
Perhaps, but when I finished researching the five best seasons for a Mets’ second baseman for a previous article (which was published on Wednesday), I came away from the project scratching my head. I mean the Mets have had their share of stars, but few have been at the second base position.
Be it poor future judgement or other factors, but the Mets have seen a few second basemen leave Queens and go on to flourish with other teams leaving Mets management and their fans scratching their heads.
Three who come to mind are Justin Turner, Daniel Murphy and Jeff Kent. All three spent some time in Queens, had some good seasons with New York, but achieved another level with other clubs.
Here, we will briefly examine these three players, their role on the Mets and their exploits elsewhere and wonder how all three got away.
Justin Turner
On May 25, 2010, Justin Turner was claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles by the Mets and optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Less than a month later, he was called up to big club. In 2011, Turner gave Mets fans a better glimpse into to his potential as he collected an RBI in seven consecutive games and took home NL Rookie of the Month honors for May.
Turner was the first Met to be so named since the creation of the distinction in 2001.
Turner’s 2012 and 2013 seasons were fairly nondescript, but in September of ’13 Turner batted .357 and hit his only two home runs of the year. He had been reworking his swing through the latter part of the season, looking to hit the ball more in the air.
Unfortunately, the Mets were not the beneficiaries of Turner’s new approach at the plate. General Manager Sandy Alderson called Turner in San Diego on December 2, 2013 to tell the utility infielder that he was being let go.
Turner was devastated at the news telling the New York Times, “… it was a weird, empty feeling being down there and not having a team. That off-season, I was trying to find a place to play, trying to get a job. It was a rough process.”
It didn’t take long for Alderson and the Mets to regret their decision. Turner was picked up by the Los Angeles Dodgers just before spring training in 2014.
Turner finally had his breakout season in ’14. Due to injuries to both Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe, Turner played in 109 games thanks to his defensive versatility and a club leading .340 batting average with 7 homers and 43 RBI in 288 at bats.
Other highlights of his current Dodger career: Turner had ten hits in 19 at-bats (.526) against the Mets in the 2015 NLDS.
In 2016, he had career highs in home runs with 27, doubles with 34 and RBIs with 90.
The following year was more of the same success for Turner earning him his first All-Star game selection . He was also named co-MVP in the 2017 NLCS.
In 2018, he was the Dodgers choice for the Roberto Clemente Award, an annual honor given to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community involvement.”
In six years with the Dodgers, Turner is stroking an impressive .306/.384/.506 with 112 home runs, 168 doubles and 394 RBIs.
Dodger manager Dave Roberts said of his star, “He’s a grinder and he’s blue collar. He’s the glue of our ball club. For me, there is a certain mentality and a focus you have to have each day, and that is what Justin has.”
All the Mets have are memories and regrets.
Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent came to the Mets in a controversial trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 27, 1992. The Mets sent popular pitcher David Cone to the Jays as Toronto was looking to bolster its pitching staff for a World Series run that proved successful.
Meanwhile for New York, Kent would play in Flushing until 1996.
From ’92 to ’96, Kent hit .274/.327/.450 (107 wRC+), and averaged 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, 59 runs scored, 24 doubles, and 1.8 fWAR per year.
During his Mets years, Kent had the second-most home runs among all second basemen in baseball. He was also third-most in RBIs, fifth-highest in slugging percentage, and was top 10 in doubles, wrC+, runs scored, and WAR in that span.
The problem, however, was not on the field, but in the clubhouse. He acquired a very poor reputation due to a quick temper and loner mentality.
As the trade deadline approached in 1996, the Mets infamously sent Kent along with Jose Vizcaino to the Cleveland Indians for Alvaro Espinoza and Carlos Baerga. The following off-season the Indians traded Kent to San Francisco.
It was with the Giants that Kent’s career skyrocketed. Hitting behind Barry Bonds in the line-up for a large part of his tenure, Kent put up MVP caliber numbers.
In fact, he was voted the NL MVP in 2000. He was a five time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and is part of the Giants Wall of Fame.
During his peak years between 1997 and 2005 , Kent slashed an excellent .296/.365/.529 (131 wRC+), averaged 28 homers, 110 RBIs, 94 runs scored, 40 doubles, and 4.7 fWAR per year for the Giants.
Kent became an Astro from ’03-’04, then in 2005 signed with the Dodgers where he would finish his career.
In sum, the Mets traded away a player who would go onto play 17 years in the majors and hit a terrific .290/.356/.500, blasting 377 home runs and 560 doubles.
Let’s not also forget Jeff had a .948 lifetime fielding percentage. Kent is a borderline Hall-of-Famer, and could be remembered as the greatest power hitting second baseman in history. And, like Turner, was once a Met.
Daniel Murphy
Daniel Murphy was selected by the Mets in the 13th round (394th overall pick) in the 2006 MLB draft. During parts of seven seasons with the Amazins’, Murphy amassed 967 hits, slashed .288/.331/.424 and knocked 228 doubles.
A natural hitter, Murphy hit below .280 only once with New York, which was his first full year in the majors.
An All-Star for the Mets in 2014, Murphy is cemented in Mets lore for his unbelievable 2015 post-season.
He homered in a record breaking six consecutive games and was the only player (besides Lou Gehrig) to have a hit, a run and an RBI in seven consecutive postseason games.
Almost needless to say, Murphy won the 2017 NLCS MVP.
Murph became a free agent after the ’15 season and there was some controversy as to whether the Mets should sign him to a lucrative deal. Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen weighed in by calling Murphy a “net negative” and should not be signed long term.
In the end, the Mets offered Murphy a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer. On November 13, 2015, Murphy rejected the offer, thus becoming a free agent. This ensured the Mets a compensation draft pick if he signed with another team.
Murphy would sign a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Washington Nationals. The rest is well known to Mets fans, starting his breakout season in 2016 season, which would be his best. Murphy led the league in doubles (47), slugging percentage (.595) and OPS (.985).
He was named to his second All-Star game and at season’s end, won his first Silver Slugger Award. Murphy also finished second to Kris Bryant in the MVP voting .
Murphy had another terrific year in 2017. Though he struggled with a knee injury, Murphy still hit .322/.384.543 and led the league in doubles again with 43.
He again was awarded with another All-Star selection and Silver Slugger.
To make it even worse on Mets fans, Murphy was an absolute nemesis against his former team. In 52 games since leaving Queens, he has hit .355/.411/.650 against the Mets with a 1.061 OPS.
Throw in 65 hits, 12 of which were homers and 14 being doubles along with 44 RBIs… and you have the very definition of nemesis.
At times, the Mets could not get Murphy out. He is now a member of the Colorado Rockies, a team the Mets (fortunately) see much less than the Nationals.
So there’s the trio: Turner, Kent and Murphy. One let go by the GM, one traded away and one lost to free-agency. And all former New York Mets.
Mets fans often discuss ‘what-ifs’ when it comes to their favorite team. What if the Mets kept only one of that trio? Would they have still developed into the same star players?
We will never know the answer to those questions, but the fact is that the Mets had their hands on three stars and let them slip through their fingers.
There must be something in the water.
