Keith Hernandez comments from 2024 tell us exactly what the NY Mets need to do next

Before he was with the New York Mets, Keith Hernandez observed Juan Soto playing right field at Citi Field as a member of the 2024 New York Yankees. He questioned why, in a ballpark with a deeper alley over there as opposed to left field, would the Yankees play him there?

The June of 2024 comments didn’t dissuade the Mets from signing him in the offseason, but the Brandon Nimmo trade surely seemed to open up the possibility of a move to left field. Soto ranked as one of the worst defensive outfielders in baseball last year. Several more feet to cover in right center field than he would in left, the most practical next move for the Mets isn’t to have Soto shagging fly balls. They need to move him into left field.

The biggest challenge with this plan is the best right fielders seem to cost a lot more.

Moving Juan Soto to left field is a must for the Mets

You don’t trade Nimmo while trying to get better defensively and then not try to upgrade defense everywhere else. While the Mets could simply find a better defensive player in left field to replace him, there’s a growing problem in right field with Soto.

Because of how poorly he rated, posting the same OAA as Nick Castellanos in right field this past year, just about everyone is an improvement. That’s not to say the Mets should simply look at one factor in determining how they resolve the vacancy. They lost a lot offensively by going from Nimmo to Marcus Semien.

Signing Kyle Tucker is the top way to upgrade. A trade for Fernando Tatis Jr. is the dream. How realistic are either of those? For a Mets club run by David Stearns who seems to enjoy the challenge of building a team as much as winning, it feels like something shorter term would be the direction they go instead.

The availability of Adolis Garcia has potential to go to either extreme and would be a more immediate disappointing result. On a small scale, a combination of players like Rob Refsnyder and Ryan O’Hearn could fill out the 162 games while leaving room for a player like Carson Benge to man the position. We may dream of him playing center field, but a corner spot seems to fit better.

The Mets have a lot of possibilities with their outfield alignment. Undoubtedly, putting Soto in a spot to succeed most is the first thing to do.