The New York Mets are one of the most famous franchises in New York sports. They are a major team in the biggest media market in the world and have had many beloved players. However, there are also quite a few Mets alums who have tested the patience of even their most loyal fans.
These men were either paid absurd sums of money but didn’t deliver even satisfactory results, or never came close to realizing the potential the team saw in them. With that in mind, let’s look at the 10 worst to ever put on a New York Mets uniform.
Tony Fernandez
Tony Fernandez was a talented and versatile infielder who had four All-Star appearances when he joined the Mets in 1993. Unfortunately, New York saw none of those talents when he played in Queens. The 17-year veteran was so bad that the Mets didn’t even give him a full season to work out of his slump. They shipped him off to the Blue Jays after hitting .225 in 48 games.
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Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar is one of the greatest second basemen to ever play in MLB. He’s a legend. But when he came to the Mets he was a shell of himself. Adding to the legend of great players underperforming in Queens. The future Hall-of-Famer and two-time champion was out of the league two seasons after being a Mets bust.
Bobby Bonilla
Bobby Bonilla’s name forever lives in New York Mets lore for all the wrong reasons. After being a part of a dynamic duo with Barry Bonds in Pittsburgh, the Bronx native returned home in 1992 for one of the richest contracts in Mets history. Sadly he never lived up to the expectations of his deal and was sent packing four seasons later.
To ensure he was off the roster, the team agreed to a massive deferment of the rest of his contract. They are still paying that money off to this day.
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Vince Coleman
Over the first six years of his career, Vince Coleman was the National League’s flipside to Ricky Henderson. He was an elite base stealer and outfielder who was a game changer talent. Then he arrived in New York in 1991 and was never the same. Injuries completely derailed his career and drew the ire of Mets fans.
Fortunately for him, Bobby Bonilla arrived a year later and overshadowed the failure of Coleman’s career in New York.
Mo Vaughn
Over the first eight seasons of his career, Boston Red Sox great Mo Vaughn was one of the premier sluggers in the game. However, there were clear signs of decline during a disappointing two-year stint in Anaheim with the Angels. The Mets still took a chance by bringing him to town because he was a formidable power hitter.
That disappeared as well in Queens and he was out of the league two years after arriving in 2002.
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Jason Bay
There was a lot of hope that Jason Bay could be the anchor of their lineup when the team signed him to a massive four-year, $66 million contract in 2010. Sadly, the Mets got the worst version of another team’s former star. Injuries were a major hindrance for the three-time All-Star in New York and he hit a shocking low in 2012 when he hit an absurd .165 in 70 games.
Juan Samuel
Similar to Tony Fernandez, before arriving in Queens Juan Samuel was one of the better infielders in the game. So it was somewhat understandable when the team traded fan favorite Lenny Dykstra for him in 1989. They quickly learned they got the wrong end of that deal.
All the Mets needed was 86 games and a .228 average to know he needed to go. Making matters worse, Dykstra would become a legend for rivals the Philadelphia Phillies, and go to three All-Star games.
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Carlos Baerga
You will notice the New York Mets have a long history of bringing in infielders that were great somewhere else and ended up being a disaster for them. Carlos Baerga was a star for the then-Cleveland Indians for nearly a decade. He came to the team in a blockbuster 1996 trade and hit .193 during his first few months with the team.
While he was slightly better in the following seasons, he never recaptured the heights of his time in Cleveland and was off the roster after two and a half seasons.
Jim Fregosi
Jim Fregosi is another legendary addition to the Mets’ horrid history of star infielders from other teams. During a memorable 11-year run for the Angels, he earned six trips to the All-Star game. He joined the Mets in 1972 and was the opposite of what fans remembered with the Angels. The organization only needed 145 games to know his acquisition was a massive failure.
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George Foster
George Foster was one of the best outfielders the Cincinnati Reds had during the late 70s. He went to five All-Star games during his stint in Cincy and was as a massive addition when the Mets brought him to New York in 1982. He turned into one of the franchise’s greatest disappointments and was traded to the White Sox in their legendary 1986 championship season.