Keith Hernandez is returning to the Mets’ broadcast booth. Boomer Esiason said Monday on WFAN that SNY has reached an agreement with the five-time All-Star to keep him on television alongside Gary Cohen and Ron Darling.
“I have it on what I feel is really good sources that he will be back in the SNY booth,” Esiason told radio partner Gregg Giannotti and their listeners. “And hopefully it will be announced this week.”
New York Mets fans were worried about what the future may hold for Hernandez. He and the network had struggled to come to an agreement. Giannotti speculated that SNY had been trying to get Hernandez to accept a lowball offer and wondered if Mets owner Steve Cohen stepped in to help close the deal.
“Stevie has nothing to do with that,” Esiason said. “This is SNY. It’s a separate entity from Steve Cohen.”
SNY is owned by the Mets’ former owners, the Wilpon family. Giannotti said that is what made fans so skeptical of the negotiations.
Keith Hernandez is a legend amongst Mets fans. He played first base for the club from 1983 until 1989. During that time, he won six Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger Award. He was named a National League All-Star three times and was a member of the 1986 World Series champions.
He has been a part of Mets’ television broadcasts for the last 17 seasons. Last month, Mike Puma of The New York Post tweeted that the sides were getting close to signing a multi-year deal. Boomer Esiason did not have details of the contract that he says is done. He just expressed relief.
“The closer it got to Spring Training, the more concerned we all, as Met fans, became. We want to be whole and being whole is having him as part of the broadcast.”
