NY Mets Retirements: 3 ex-Amazins who hung up their cleats in 2021

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 04: Jay Bruce #19 and Neil Walker #20 of the New York Mets celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees 4-1 during a game at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 04: Jay Bruce #19 and Neil Walker #20 of the New York Mets celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees 4-1 during a game at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 27: Neil Walker #20 of the New York Mets in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citi Field on August 27, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Former Mets second baseman Neil Walker retired on April 20

The time Neil Walker spent with the Mets in 2016 and 2017 might be viewed more favorably than Bruce because he did things differently. Walker hit .275/.344/.462 as a member of the Mets. In year one, he slugged 23 home runs in only 458 plate appearances. It helped ease the pain of watching Daniel Murphy finish second in the MVP race.

Walker was traded the following summer to the Milwaukee Brewers. From there, he would spend the 2018 season with the Yankees, the 2019 one with the Miami Marlins, and then join the Phillies for the 2020 campaign. I find it kind of odd that he played for two of the same teams as Bruce in his post-Mets days. The two were even teammates last year.

Unfortunately for Walker, he hit only .231 for the Phillies in 41 plate appearances. Already on a clear decline, it would be his final season.

There was never much interest in Walker once he left the Mets. He settled on a one-year deal worth $4 million in 2018 coming off an okay season where you might suspect he would get more. His bank account should thank him for accepting the $17.2 million qualifying offer from the Mets in 2017. It ended up being significantly more than he would ever earn in his career thereafter.

Walker never got to play again in 2021. However, he did return to his original franchise and hometown Pittsburgh Pirates to get in some work as an announcer in August.

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