Hernández could be the new Jose Iglesias, with utility and personality to spare.
The Mets last year had a utility position player on their bench with a history of success in Jose Iglesias. He was able to be a good bat off the bench, defensive replacement, and when Jeff McNeil struggled and then was injured, a decent starter at second base. Presumably, he’ll probably parlay that into a nice contract to start elsewhere, and the Mets will have that bench spot to fill once again.
There’s several possible choices to add a veteran presence, allow for maybe a career revival, and maybe even add some personality and flair in the way Iglesias did. But maybe the most intriguing choice would be Kiké Hernández, who is a free agent once again following yet another World Series run with the Dodgers. He’s an older free agent, at 33 years old, but he could provide the kind of veteran presence and positional versatility any team would want but the Mets specifically could use.
Over the course of his career, Hernández has hit .238/.308/.405, with a 93 wRC+ and accumulating 10.9 fWAR over the course of his 11 year career. He’s also showcased immense defensive versatility, having played every position other than catcher at least once in his career (though his pitching use has been limited to blowouts or extra-inning marathons as an emergency option). He can bring a defensive utility off the bench that makes it easier to customize the rest of the roster without having to worry about needing a backup for certain positions.
Last season, Hernández had a down season when compared to his career standards. He hit .229/.281/.373, with a 83 wRC+ and only 0.7 fWAR. He is 33, so it could very well be that this downturn is the beginning of his last stretch as a major leaguer. The last three seasons collectively he’s hit .230/.287/.356 with a 76 wRC+ and a literal 0.0 fWAR. He’s been a net-neutral player who on the offensive side has been below average.
His defensive versatility is what made him worth rostering the last few years, even in the lean offensive times. Last season he was worth 1 OAA, playing every position besides catcher and right field. And with the exception of shortstop (where he was worth -1 OAA) he either had 0 OAA or positive OAA. And even in the last three years, the only time he was seriously below average as a fielder was for the Red Sox in 2023, specifically at shortstop, where he was worth -13 OAA, but once he moved back to the Dodgers at the trade deadline, he was only worth -1 OAA (albeit in more limited time at the position).
He may be a wise choice as a bench piece. There, his utility as a utility player and bat off the bench would be able to utilize him best, as a defensive specialist and bat off the bench where he doesn’t have to take over 400 at-bats over the course of a season and can instead be more potent in fewer opportunities. The Mets are in a position where they have multiple players who are a bit more limited defensively, and Jeff McNeil can only do so much. Another versatile player like Hernández could help the bench and roster construction immensely.