New York Mets fans react as former hero Daniel Murphy signs with Long Island independent league team: "Needs to be a Met again" "Can he still rake?" 

New York Mets postseason hero Daniel Murphy is headed back to New York, just not with the Mets.

Just days shy of his 38th birthday, Murphy signed a contract to play baseball for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. He retired from MLB in 2021.

In a press release from the Ducks, Murphy said:

"This game is part of my soul, and my passion for playing grew as great as ever when I discovered certain things that I believe will enable me to be productive on the field again."

Daniel Murphy played seven years for the Mets, in 2008 and 2009 and then again from 2011-2015.

He gained a cult following among New Yorkers for his postseason offensive fireworks in the 2015 National League playoffs. In the NL Division Series, he hit .333 with three home runs and five RBIs. In the NL Championship Series, he torched the Chicago Cubs to the tune of a .529 average, four home runs and six RBIs and was named the NLCS MVP.

His bat went cold in a World Series loss to the Kansas City Royals, as he hit just .150. However, he became a legend for helping propel the Mets to only their second World Series since 1986. Many New Yorkers were heartbroken when he signed a free-agent contract with the Washington Nationals before the 2016 season.

Many Mets fans are questioning Daniel Murphy's retirement in the first place. While injuries allowed him only one season of more than 100 games played after 2017, Murphy retired as a .296 hitter. His final season of just 40 games in 2020 – when he hit .236 – was the only campaign in which he hit under .266 over a 12-year span.

Many Mets fans, seeing the sad state of their team's designated hitter situation – with Darin Ruf released and Daniel Vogelbach struggling to keep his batting average over .100 in spring training – are openly lobbying Murphy to come back to the team where he saw some of his greatest success.

Of course, a bat like Murphy's on an independent ballclub? Could be more offensive fireworks on the way.

Daniel Murphy was NL MVP runner-up in 2016

Daniel Murphy after hitting a two run single

Daniel Murphy was a clutch hitting machine for the majority of his career, but took it to a whole other level in 2016. In his first year after leaving the Mets, Murphy finished second in the NL MVP voting after hitting a career-best .347 and 104 RBIs with the Nationals. He led the NL with 47 doubles, a .595 slugging percentage and a .985 OPS.