NY Mets: Five times a free agent turned out to be a catfish

Bobby Bonilla, 1992-1995

Bobby Bonilla is an interesting selection for an all-time Mets catfish. Far better known as the man with the never-ending contract following his second stint with the organization, I want to classify him as a catfish from his first tenure.

Bonilla was an All-Star for four straight seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to reaching free agency. When he did, the Mets made their move and signed the star outfielder. His first season with the club showed signs of how bad things would end up.

In catfish terms, it’s like refusing to video chat after a year of talking online.

Bonilla did manage to become an All-Star for the notoriously bad 1993 Mets. As Major League Baseball rules dictate, every team must be represented. He wasn’t bad this year, but he also wasn’t the same superstar player he was during his time with the Pirates.

Through the baseball strike in 1994, Bonilla stuck with the Mets and put up some good yet not so great numbers. On an episode of Catfish, we might expect the prospective love interest to meet him in person and Bonilla looks exactly like his photos. The one problem which may arise is that he’s either married or never really felt the same way about the person that emailed the show.

As far as Bonilla’s return to the Mets in 1999 goes, this is far from a case of catfishing. He was already on the decline and I’m not sure anyone in New York believed he would do much more than provide them with a little bit of offensive depth.

Expecting anything more from a guy in his mid-30s is asking a little too much.