Mets: 3 former players we need to come back to New York

Justin Turner

Some might not even remember that Justin Turner was on the New York Mets. The Mets claimed the infielder off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles in 2010. He was immediately sent to Triple-A for a few weeks before he was called up to the big-league club.

After a year toiling around in the minors, the Mets gave Turner his shot in 2011. Things started off great. In May 2011, he had RBIs in seven-straight games, capping it off with a hit in the Subway Series. Part of that was a five-RBI day against the Houston Astros. He became the first Mets player to win NL Rookie of the Month in the award’s 10-year existence.

Turner ended up getting non-tendered by the Mets after the 2013 season, and he became a free agent. The Mets would go on to regret that decision because Turner signed with the Dodgers and became one of the best bargains in baseball.

He immediately had a breakout season, having to replace injured infielders Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe throughout the season. Turner went from a league-minimum player to making $19 million last season.

For the Mets, Turner can provide more of that versatility he added for the Dodgers. He’s the type of heart-and-soul player that Championship teams need. The Mets lost Robinson Cano for the season (not a huge loss to be honest), so there’s an opening in the infield. They have decent options with Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis, but Turner would give them more of a guarantee at third base.