Top Mets cast-offs at every position that starred for other teams

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NEW YORK – OCTOBER 04: Jeff Kent #12 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is tagged out at the plate for the first out in an unasisted double play by Paul Lo Duca #16 of the New York Mets in the second inning of game one of the National League Division Series at Shea Stadium on October 4, 2006 in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens borough of New York City. J.D Drew #7 was also tagged out at home on the play. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) /

Sometimes they do get away. They slip through your fingers. They go unnoticed…or unappreciated. But with all of the so-called intelligence in the “war room,” how could so many mistakes happen? They call them the “brain trust.” The ones who are running the show. The ones who make all the vital decisions about personnel. The scouts, the farm directors, the general managers, etc. It’s a wonder how people in such high positions can make such ill-fated choices. The New York Mets have had their fair share of the prize that got away.

You can bounce around the field and get a true sense for what could have been…what might have been…if…IF…a few guys were able to just stick around before being cast off to toil elsewhere. How things might have gone for them, or the Mets organization, if they had a chance to do it all for the Mets.

Here they are, the cast-offs, position by position:

Catcher – Chris Cannizzaro

Regardless of what Travis d’Arnaud is now doing with another club, the Mets really had no catcher that left the team and went on to greatness elsewhere. Well…as a player anyway. There were some guys like Bruce Bochy and John Gibbons who had some relative success as managers. The one guy who was talented but didn’t do anything to stand out until he left was Chris Cannizzaro.

Cannizzaro was plucked from the St. Louis Cardinals in the expansion draft and played for the Mets during their inaugural season in 1962. He spent four years in a Mets uniform but didn’t really distinguish himself until he was part of another expansion team when the San Diego Padres entered the National League in 1969.

During that time he bounced around from the Atlanta Braves to the Boston Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers to the Pittsburgh Pirates before landing with the Padres. Cannizzaro became the Padres lone All-Star representative in that ’69 season and had another solid season the year after. But other than that, his career was truly non-inspiring.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 27: Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after flying out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in Game Six of the 2020 MLB World Series at Globe Life Field on October 27, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

First Base – Mike Jorgensen

The local product from Queens was a fourth-round draft pick of the Mets and debuted as a 19-year-old in 1968. He was not only a surehanded first baseman, but he was a pretty adequate centerfielder too. He spent a few seasons behind Ed Kranepool and Donn Clendenon at first base and Tommie Agee in centerfield before being included in the package, along with Ken Singleton and Tim Foli, to acquire Rusty Staub from the Montreal Expos.

It was with the Expos that Jorgensen flourished, finally getting a starting job at first base. He played six seasons in Montreal and averaged 10 home runs a year with an on base percentage of .365, striking out very few times over the course of his tenure. Jorgensen, like Foli, would later return to the Mets for a second tour of duty but as a back-up.

During the beginning of the new regime, Jorgensen, along with Dave Kingman, were brought back to the organization and the two would often share first base duties. For the most part, Jorgensen was a reliable utilityman as a Met, but definitely had his most productive days out of a Mets uniform.

Second Base – Jeff Kent

Kent was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in the trade that exiled David Cone from New York. However, he wasn’t even the gem in the deal. That label went to Ryan Thompson, another one of the “can’t miss five-tool” players the Mets always seemed to acquire.

Kent was never expected to be anything special. The Mets management focused more on the excitement a special talent like Thompson would bring. Kent was going to be another in the revolving door that was third base, until incumbent Willie Randolph’s illustrious career began to disintegrate in Queens. Kent was then moved to second base where he was chastised for his lack of range in the field, and regardless of how well he hit, he was never well-liked by management, and was actually disliked by the media.

In just over four years, he averaged .279 with 16 home runs and 65 runs batted in. Not bad for a second baseman. But during the 1996 season, Mets GM, Joe McIlvaine, decided to flip Kent for Cleveland Indians All-Star second baseman Carlos Baerga. Kent would go on to a career in which he hit .291 and slammed 366 homers and drove in 1,467 runs. Kent was a dominant force at the plate, and served as the protection for Barry Bonds in the San Francisco Giants line-up for a number of years. He played for multiple teams and was successful wherever he put on a uniform in what should have been a Hall of Fame career.

During a nine-year span with the Giants (six seasons), with the Houston Astros (two seasons), and his first season with the Dodgers, Kent dominated at the plate when he hit for a .295 average with 28 home runs and 110 RBI. He won four Silver Slugger Awards, he was selected to play in five All Star Games, and he was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2000. Given his numbers, given his longevity, given his quiet yet hard-nosed, old school approach every game, every season, it’s a wonderment as to why Kent is being snubbed by the HOF voters. What is noteworthy, with all of his success throughout his career, is his “subdued” performance while in a Mets uniform.

Shortstop – Kevin Mitchell

One has to wonder, what IF Kevin Mitchell was not included in the trade with the San Diego Padres for Kevin McReynolds after the 1986 championship season?

Mitchell was labeled “World” by Gary Carter because of Mitchell’s ability to play every position on the field, and play it well. The problem is that Mitchell was a problem. He didn’t exactly live a “clean” life or travel in “safe” circles. Manager Davey Johnson loved him, and loved to insert him into the lineup at shortstop. But GM Frank Cashen hated him and wanted him out.

Mitchell would be traded a second time to the San Francisco Giants where he would become a pure monster at the plate and an MVP, and even catch a fly ball over his shoulder with his bare hand while playing left field.

Mitchell hit .275 with 12 home runs in a Mets uniform. He struggled in his very brief stay with San Diego but truly emerged as a powerhouse with the Giants, garnering the National League MVP Award in 1989 when had league-leading totals of 47 HR, 125 RBI, .635 slugging percentage and 1.023 OPS.

Even though he really wasn’t the shortstop Davey Johnson thought he could be, Mitchell slugged 143 HR with 411 RBI with an on base percentage of near .400 during his four-plus years with the Giants. Clearly production the Mets could have used.

Third Base – Justin Turner

Turner is really one of those late bloomers. I liked him when he was a Met, but I didn’t think he was anything more special than a short-term solution at second base. He was a waiver wire pick-up after having been traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Baltimore Orioles and playing 17 games over parts of two seasons with horrible results.

The Mets took advantage of his versatility and played well, averaging 100 games during a three-plus-year span and sported a .265 batting average with eight home runs.

Turner was granted free agency prior to 2014 and signed on with his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers. His first three season in LA were much like his Mets day, but then, suddenly in 2016, he took off and began launching home runs. Over the next four seasons he averaged 23 dingers with an on base percentage of over .400.

Since he donned Dodger Blue, Turner has a .302 batting average, .503 slugging percentage and .886 OPS over his seven seasons with the Dodgers, and he’s been sensational in the postseason batting .295 with a .507 slugging percentage and .899 OPS over 72 playoff games. Clearly a tad better than what he exuded in the Blue and Orange.

ANAHEIM, CA – CIRCA 1981: Amos Otis #26 of the Kansas City Royals bats against the California Angels during an Major League Baseball game circa 1981 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, Californis. Otis played for the Royals from 1970-83. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Left Field – Jeromy Burnitz

Burnitz was a first-round draft pick of the Mets and a bit overmatched when he debuted during the 1993 and ’94 seasons. He hit .240 with 16 home runs over parts of two seasons while striking out an alarming rate. He was quickly shipped off to the Indians and after a very brief stop in Cleveland, he made his way to the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Burnitz broke out with Brewers as if he was recreating Harvey’s Wallbangers from the early 80’s. In five-plus seasons with the Brewers, Burnitz averaged 33 home runs and 102 RBI with 85 walks a season, greatly improving his contact and on base percentage.

The Mets probably figured they would give him another try and made a move to get him back but that didn’t last long. It was like the Brewers got the gold and the Mets got the dregs. He performance in a Mets uniform couldn’t seem to match up with what he could do in another uniform.

Centerfield – Amos Otis

The Mets seemed to have an endless search for a third baseman. Ed Charles, the popular player known as “The Glider” was already on a decline and his resurgence helped the Mets to a World Championship. But they needed a replacement. They had a talented trio of outfielders in the minor leagues – Amos Otis, Ken Singleton, Leroy Stanton – all considered five-tool athletes. They attempted to get Otis to move to third base. That didn’t work very well so they shipped him off to Kansas City for Joe Foy.

According to a story conveyed by Jerry Koosman, Foy fell under the influence of his old friends in the Bronx. During one particular game, a batter hit a hard ground ball by Foy. He never even saw it, but even after it went by him, he kept punching his glove and yelling, “Hit it to me, hit it to me.” During another game, Foy went running for a foul ball outside of the third baseline yelling, “I GOT IT…I GOT IT!” He got it. He got hit on the top of the head with it and it bounced into the stands. He was soon bounced out of town.

In the meantime, Otis became a star centerfielder with the Royals during the team’s heyday in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Otis played in a total of 67 games with the Mets over parts of two seasons, including the 1969 season, hitting an unspectacular .178 with no home runs. For the next 14 seasons with the Royals, Otis hit .280 with 193 home runs and 340 stolen bases. He was a five-time All Star and won three Gold Gloves. Otis had the perfect combination of power and speed, especially for the Royals. He had enough pop in his bat but his speed worked well with the Royals’ team philosophy of speed and defense. In fact, On September 7, 1971, he became the first player since 1927 to steal five bases in one game and he led the American League with 52 stolen bases that year.

Right Field – Ken Singleton

The Mets got All Star Rusty Staub but had to include Ken Singleton in the trade with the Montreal Expos. Staub had a few productive seasons before being shipped off to Detroit, while Singleton became one of the most prolific hitters in the game, first for the Expos, and then the Baltimore Orioles. It would be a long time before the Mets would have another outfielder that had the skills and production of Singleton from both sides of the plate.

Singleton hit .252 with 18 home runs over parts of two seasons with the Mets. Once he got to Montreal, he emerged as a force, actually having more productive seasons with the Expos than Staub had with the Mets during that period and, in 1973, he led the National League with an on base percentage of .425. He would sport a career OBP of .388 and walked more than he struck out. After leaving the Mets, he would hit for an average of .285 with 227 home runs and an OBP of .391.

Singleton was a part of the Orioles World Series teams of 1979 and 1983, a time period when the Mets were floundering in the standings and continued a search for a big bat in right field.

ANAHEIM, CA – 1973: Pitcher Nolan Ryan #30 of the California Angels sits on the bench during an MLB game circa 1973 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images) /

Relief Pitcher – Rick Aguilera

When fans talk about the best pitching staff ever assembled by the Mets, they often point to the Mets of the mid to late 80’s that featured Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, and Bobby Ojeda. The one that always seems to be forgotten is Rick Aguilera. He was quiet and reserved, and probably needed to be as the Mets “fifth starter” in that group.

As almost exclusively a starter with the Mets, Aguilera went 37-27 with a 3.58 ERA over three-plus seasons. He was then included as one of the five players who went to the Minnesota Twins in May of 1989 in the trade that brought Frank Viola to the Mets. And while Viola would have one good season with the Mets and win 20 games, what did Aguilera do?

Aguilera went on to become a stud fireman out of the bullpen and save 318 games over the course of his career, 254 of them with the Twins over parts of 11 seasons, and the rest with the Boston Red Sox (part of one season) and the Chicago Cubs (for two seasons).

He was already pretty good in a Mets uniform, but he was great once he moved on from Flushing.

Starting Pitcher – Nolan Ryan

The ultimate of “pretty good In a Mets uniform, but he was great once he moved on from Flushing…” Nolan Ryan is the epitome of “the one that got away.”

You really have to be in another universe to not know what Nolan Ryan did 60 feet 6 inches away from home plate.

In his relatively short time with the Mets, that was interrupted by military commitments, Ryan went 29-38 with an ERA of 3.58. He mostly frustrated the organization with his wildness, but he wowed them when he was needed most, winning the third game of the National League Championship Series in 1969 and then saving Game 3 of the World Series – his only World Series appearance – for Gary Gentry with overpowering stellar performances in both.

But after the 1971 season, in one of the most befuddling moves in Mets history, (if not for the Yankees selling Babe Ruth…well…), Mets management sent Ryan and some marginal prospects to the California Angels for former All Star shortstop Jim Fregosi. Disaster, debacle, cataclysmic mistake…whatever you want to call it…it was.

As Mets GM Bob Scheffing said at the time: “But we’ve had him three full years and, although he’s a hell of a prospect, he hasn’t done it for us. How long can you wait?” What a buffoon!

What would Ryan do after leaving the Mets? He enjoyed huge success with the Angels, the Houston Astros, and the Texas Rangers. He would win 297 games for a total of 324 career wins. The engineer of the Ryan Express would strike out more than 5,200 batters after leaving the Mets en route to a career Major League record of 5,714 strikeouts. He recorded over 200 complete games and 60 shut outs post-Mets. Eight All-Star appearances. No-hitters? Oh yeah. A Major League record seven (7) no-hitters in other uniforms.

Next. Best "pitchers who rake" Mets moments of all-time

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Think about this…Nolan Ryan played for 27 seasons for four different teams. His uniform number is retired by three of them…and one of them is not the Mets. Mets fans always have to wonder, “Why not?”

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