This offseason, we’re looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. The regrettable list includes names such as Jeurys Familia, James McCann, and most recently Jed Lowrie. Next was the Mets’ failed attempt at finding the next superstar from Japan.

If only every game could be like his first. Kaz Matsui led off Opening Day 2004 as the prized addition of the Mets offseason hyped and the latest Japanese hitting talent coming over to North America.

The initial pitch he saw went off his bat and 429 feet over the center-field fence at Turner Field. It was the beginning of a 3-for-3 night in which he reached based on each of his five trips to the plate.

Whatever high expectations were laid upon Matsui coming into this game went up tenfold after it.

From 1995-2003 with the Seibu Lions, he hit .300 or better in seven consecutive seasons, averaged more than 26 home runs and stolen bases over a five-year stretch, and won the league’s Gold Glove Award four times.

The Mets were hoping he’d follow in the likes of Ichiro Suzuki with the Mariners and Hideki Matsui with the Yankees as players whose success in Japan translated into immediate impact with their respective major-league clubs.

To be fair, not many in baseball history are like Ichiro. But Kaz Matsui, who signed a three-year contract worth $20 million, was well below any hopes the Mets or Met fans had for him.

Like most things that take place on Opening Day, they turn into overreactions. For Matsui, it was all downhill from that night on. In two-plus seasons, he batted .272 with 125 hits, 11 homers, and an OPS+ of 75. Not only did his performance hurt the team, but his insertion as the starting shortstop hindered the progress of José Reyes — who was forced to transition to second base for his first full year in the majors.

It might have been more tolerable if Matsui was a solid fielder, but he wasn’t. Actually, he was a total liability. And it’s what took this experiment from a failure into a disaster.

By comparison, his first season in New York was his best. He slashed .272/.331/.396 and stole 14 of 17 bases. It was his defense that was a determent as he committed 23 errors while seemingly like he’d never played shortstop.

The Mets rightfully decided to move Reyes into his natural position while Matsui would play second. And in a whack-a-mole-like scenario, Matsui’s defense improved but his offense regressed significantly. In the first three months, Kaz appeared in 58 games, hitting .234/.284/.321. By midseason, he was replaced as the starting second baseman. A combination of injuries and poor play resulted in him appearing in just 29 games during the second half.

Matsui made the Mets’ roster out of spring training in 2006, but playing time was scarce. After 139 plate appearances hitting .200/.235/.269 with one homer, the Mets cut ties with a player they once envisioned as a future cornerstone. In June, he was dealt to the Colorado Rockies for Eli Marrero.

The only consistent aspect of Matsui’s Mets career was how he began each of his three seasons. After the 2004 home run, he took ex-Met Paul Wilson deep as the year’s second batter. And then in 2006, following a three weeks’ absence because of a knee injury, Matsui (batting eighth) got another homer — this one of the inside-the-park variety at San Diego’s Petco Park.

When a reporter asked him to gauge his chances of hitting a home run prior to his big-league debut, Matsui responded: “No chance.” That would’ve only been true if he was forecasting that his time in New York would be a success.