Keith Hernandez didn’t mince words when discussing the Mets breaking up their core.
With the Winter Meetings now wrapped up, it’s safe to say that the New York Mets‘ offseason so far has been defined more by what has been lost than what has been gained.
In the span of just two and a half weeks, the Mets have seen franchise cornerstones Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Díaz, and Pete Alonso depart in what can only be described as a major organizational overhaul.
And while the offseason remains far from over, president of baseball operations David Stearns is already taking an enormous amount of heat from fans for breaking up the club’s core.
Keith Hernandez weighs in on Mets’ overhaul
On Wednesday, Keith Hernandez joined SportsNite on SNY and didn’t mince words when discussing the state of the organization after Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
“I’m a little bit speechless,” Hernandez said. “This is very explosive. In the years that I’ve been with the Mets, I have not seen this kind of moving in a new direction, I guess. It is profound.”
After failing to reach the postseason in 2025, and having made the playoffs just twice in the last five seasons, the Mets have officially undergone a roster reset.
So far this offseason, New York has lost Nimmo, Díaz, Alonso, and trade deadline acquisitions Ryan Helsley, Gregory Soto, and Cedric Mullins. In return, the club has added Marcus Semien and Devin Williams.
It has certainly been a rough offseason for the Mets so far, and even team owner Steve Cohen has addressed the fan reaction to the organization’s moves.
“I totally understand the fans’ reaction,” Cohen said. “There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field.”
However, the departures of Nimmo, Díaz, and Alonso have created several holes New York must address.
First base, outfield, bullpen depth, and starting pitching help all stand out as priorities heading into the next phase of the offseason.
While Peter Fairbanks, Cody Bellinger, Michael King, and Kyle Tucker all stand out as desirable additions to fill those gaps, the losses of Nimmo, Díaz, and Alonso will certainly sting for a while.
Looking at the big picture, there remains a good chunk of time between now and Opening Day 2026, when the Mets will host the Pittsburgh Pirates.
However, this week’s events prove that New York has its work cut out for them in trying to retool its roster in hopes of returning to the postseason.
