The New York Mets have their man. The SNY booth for the 2023 season will not be without Mets legend Keith Hernandez. Hernandez has been in the booth covering Mets games for 17 seasons but his contract ended after the 2022 season.
He's become a fan favorite and many fans were worried he might not be back with the team next year. However, after lengthy contract talks, Hernandez has agreed to return to the booth with Ron Darling, Gary Cohen and company.
Metsmerized Online tweeted:
"Keith Hernandez re-signs with SNY and biggest free agent of the off-season is finally back with the Mets!"
The Mets have certainly been active during the offseason.
They had one of the wildest spending sprees in MLB history and nearly shattered all spending records by a wide margin when they agreed to a deal with Carlos Correa, who ended up back with the Minnesota Twins.
Evidently, their big offseason wasn't limited to just the team. They had a key member of their broadcast crew whose future was in limbo.
According to Metsmerized Online, being around the Mets means a lot to Hernandez:
“I never dreamed that I would be 50 years, maybe 40, I don’t feel like I’m that old. No, I never dreamed that I would become a fixture of the organization, I never dreamed of being in the booth. I think the fact that I’m still in New York is just because it’s New York City and there’s only one New York City and I’ve fallen in love with Manhattan and in the surrounding areas. I love it up here. There was no reason to leave. I was having too much fun.”
Fortunately, his time there won't end this season. The two sides agreed to a multi-year deal, so he'll be sticking around for a while at least.
When did Keith Hernandez play for the New York Mets?
Throughout his illustrious career, Keith Hernandez played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. He spent 10 years with the Cardinals beginning in 1974.
In 1983, he was traded to the Mets, where he played seven seasons. He spent one season in Cleveland and retired.