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MMO Free Agent Profile: Kiké Hernández, UTL

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Sep 17, 2020; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Enrique Hernandez (14) leans away from a pitch in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Position: 1B/2B/SS/3B/LF/CF/RF
Bats/Throws:
R/R
Age: 29 (8/24/1991)

Traditional Stats: .230/.270/.410, 48 games, 8 doubles, 5 HR, 20 RBI
Advanced Stats: 1.0 bWAR, -0.1 fWAR, 83 OPS+, 83 wRC+
Defensive Stats: 9 DRS, -1.9 UZR

Rundown

During an interview with Jon Heyman on the Big Time Baseball podcast earlier this week, Mets President Sandy Alderson mentioned that the team’s plan for the remainder of the offseason would be to “work from the bench up and we’ll see where it takes us.” They kicked that idea off by signing 1B/OF José Martínez to a split-contract worth up to $1.5 million. Now another name Alderson & Jared Porter could potentially look at is Enrique “Kiké” Hernández.

Hernández, 29, is the ultimate utility man in baseball. He can play anywhere on the field besides pitcher and catcher, and he plays almost all of them really well. Besides first base (-2) and third base (-1), Hernández has 0 or more defensive runs saved at every position he’s played in his career. His best spot is second base, where he has accrued 24 DRS over the last three years (1,022 innings).

While the Puerto Rico native has an excellent glove, he has never been viewed as having a great bat during his seven MLB seasons.  After an exceptional start to his big-league career where Hernández hit .307/.346/.490 from 2014-2015 as a bench bat, his offensive statistics have taken a pretty big hit. Over the last five seasons, the former sixth round draft pick has an average slash-line of .230/.308/.416 with a 93 OPS+.

Although those numbers are a bit tough to look at, one silver lining is that Hernández could provide something the Mets still need even after the addition of Martinez, a right-handed bat who can hit lefties well. Hernández has a slash-line of .263/.345/.474 in 893 career plate appearances against southpaws, good for an .820 OPS and 120 wRC+. It’s also hard to ignore his sneaky pop, with an average of 16 home runs from 2017-2019.

Contract

According to baseball insider Peter Gammons, Hernández is looking for a 1-year deal where he can get close to 500 plate appearances. Combining his subpar overall offensive numbers and the current state of baseball’s free-agent market, it would be a surprise to see Hernández land anything more than $5-$6 million.

Recommendation

Hernández should be on almost every contending team’s wish-list this offseason. Who wouldn’t want a guy that can play virtually everywhere on the field, give you quality at-bats against lefties and also provide a bit of power?

If the Mets committed to making Jeff McNeil their third baseman, they could platoon Hernández and Luis Guillorme at second base and provide Francisco Lindor with an exceptional double play partner every single night. Guillorme had a .938 OPS against right-handed pitching this past season, and we know that Hernández can handle lefties.

What if the Mets go the Jackie Bradley Jr. route in center field? Bradley Jr. would likely need to sit most nights against tough lefties, but guess who can play center field on those nights? Oh that’s right, Kiké Hernández.

This would be an excellent signing by the Mets. Not only is Hernández a fun player to watch on the field,  but he’s a blast in the clubhouse as well. This roster is already filled with lots of awesome people, what’s the harm in adding one more?

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