Jul 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (12) reacts after a play in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Mets targeting unexpected outfielder after breakout season

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The New York Mets made waves when news broke that they had traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics on December 22.

This trade doesn't necessarily come as a surprise. McNeil has seemingly been on the trade block all offseason, and the bombshell November 28 report from Mike Puma of the New York Post about the rift between McNeil and Francisco Lindor (which perhaps contributed to the Mets' rumored clubhouse chemistry issues last season) suggested that it was time for McNeil to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

But the trade also made sense from a personnel perspective. New York has a plethora of capable infielders, and freeing up some of McNeil's salary means that David Stearns will have more flexibility in retooling his team's roster in free agency.

Insider Asserts Mets Have Eyes on Austin Hays

New York Post insider Jon Heyman alluded to this with a December 22 X post that was a reply to him speaking about the McNeil trade. The post read, "McNeil trade was logical and expected, and continues the roster turnover. And don’t worry Mets fans, there will be more players coming!"

Heyman's confidence is making Mets fans wonder which players he might be referring to. And he provided some clarity in this regard with an X post on December 23 that read, "Mets have discussed Austin Hays internally and have some interest. Had very nice year in Cincy (.768 OPS). The righty hitting OF is among potential fits."

Mets have discussed Austin Hays internally and have some interest. Had very nice year in Cincy (.768 OPS). The righty hitting OF is among potential fits.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 23, 2025

Hays is an interesting option for the Mets. As Heyman alluded to, the 30-year-old outfielder is coming off a breakout 2025 campaign with the Cincinnati Reds, where he hit .266 with a .768 OPS, 15 home runs, and 64 RBIs.

While Hays is far from the biggest name the Mets could pursue in free agency, he's a well-rounded outfielder who would come at a sliver of the price tag it would take to acquire Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker.

And if the Mets settled on signing Hays to fill Brandon Nimmo's spot in left field, that would presumably leave them with enough money to sign one of the top starting pitchers still available on the market, such as Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Tatsuya Imai, or Zac Gallen.

Then again, given the superstars New York has already lost this season, it's hard to imagine fans will be content with an acquisition of Austin Hays, especially if it doesn't come with one of those aforementioned pitchers.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.