Mets Shouldn’t Bother With Justin Turner

Word going around on Tuesday is that the Mets are interested in a reunion with Justin Turner. But it says here they should not bother — why compound one mistake with another?

The original mistake, of course, was letting Turner go in the first place. For the uninitiated, Turner was a solid bench piece in Flushing from 2011-2013 when Sandy Alderson inexplicably waived him rather than pay him a million dollars. The Mets predictably trashed him on the way out the door, implying he didn’t work hard enough or something like that. The Dodgers picked him up and he became a star.

Now he is a free agent and the expected quick contract with the Dodgers has not happened, hence the Mets rumors. The Mets could use an upgrade at third, Turner is a third baseman — you do the math.

However, Turner turned 36 in November. I know I am a broken record on this, but many, many players fall off a cliff at around this age. Turner did all right in his shortened age 35 season, batting .307, but history says he is unlikely to repeat it at this point in his life.

Sandy Alderson is on record as saying he hates paying players for what they have already done. Giving Turner many millions of dollars on a one or two year contract would be doing just that. So let’s avoid nostalgia and forget a return to Citi Field for Justin Turner.