1:51PM: The Mets’ provide to Hernandez “would’ve carried an analogous annual common worth to the contract he agreed to with the Dodgers however with out deferrals,” The Athletic’s Will Sammon writes. Such shorter-term offers for outfield or DH assist stay a risk for the Mets, if for lower than what it will’ve taken to signal Hernandez. As an example, Sammon notes that the Mets have curiosity in re-signing Jesse Winker in such a job.
1:25PM: The Mets’ curiosity within the free agent outfield market was seemingly restricted to only Juan Soto, as in contrast to different Soto suitors, New York wasn’t identified to have any public curiosity within the likes of Teoscar Hernandez or Anthony Santander as backup plans if Soto signed elsewhere. Nonetheless, now with Soto already within the fold, the Mets made a late bid on Hernandez, as Newsday’s Tim Healey reviews that the Amazins supplied the slugger a two-year deal earlier this week. The greenback determine isn’t identified, however Hernandez rejected the deal anyway and rejoined the Dodgers on a three-year, $66MM pact.
For the reason that Mets have the monetary sources to be in on any obtainable participant, their curiosity in Hernandez may’ve been a case of due diligence. There’s no hurt, in any case, in checking in on a proficient hitter to gauge his curiosity in becoming a member of the Mets, and president of baseball operations David Stearns may need seen a gap in a shorter-term deal since Hernandez was lingering available on the market.
This isn’t to say that signing Hernandez would’ve been a discount, precisely, as he would’ve price the Mets much more draft and worldwide bonus capital. As a result of New York exceeded the luxurious tax in 2024, signing Soto price the Mets $1MM in int’l bonus pool cash, plus their second- and fifth-highest picks within the 2025 draft. Like Soto, Hernandez additionally rejected a qualifying provide, and thus signing him would’ve required that the Mets quit one other $1MM from their worldwide bonus pool, in addition to their third- and sixth-highest draft picks.
Including Hernandez would’ve additional crowded the outfield image. The projected beginning outfield consists of Soto in proper discipline, Brandon Nimmo in left, Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor platooning in middle, Starling Marte probably relegated to DH obligation, and Jeff McNeil, Jared Younger, and Luisangel Acuna in a position to step onto the grass in a pinch. Had New York signed Hernandez, the likeliest situation in all probability would’ve seen Nimmo return to middle discipline, except the Mets have been profitable in opening up the DH spot by buying and selling Marte. Studies from a couple of weeks in the past urged the Mets have been prepared to eat a few of the $19.5MM owed to Marte within the occasion of a commerce, and whereas no deal was regarded as within the offing, the Mets’ openness to cowl wage would possibly trace that Marte is the odd man out.
If signing Hernandez was seen as one thing of a novel circumstance, the Mets’ outfield depth in all probability means they’re much less prone to hunt down Santander or one other outfield bat except Marte is dealt. By way of lineup additions general, New York stays linked to Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman because the membership seems to be to spice up not less than one nook infield slot.
