The Mets are interested in the free agent outfielder Austin Haysreports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Hays was previously linked to the Royals but that was before Kansas City signed him Lane Thomas and earned Isaac Collins. It is reported that they are still exploring the foreign market but may be less urgent about that now.
For the Mets, adding to the outfield seems inevitable. They had nine players make more than one plate appearance as an outfielder in 2025. Seven of them are gone. Cedric Mullins, Star Marte, Jesse Winker, Jose Siri again José Azócar they became free agents at the end of the season. In this off season, Brandon Nimmo was traded to the Rangers again Jeff McNeil in Athletics.
That leaves the Mets Juan Soto again Tyrone Taylor as holdovers. Soto is apparently part of the plans for 2026 but Taylor should be in the running. Taylor has a respectable spot due to his speed and defense but has had poor offense for three years now, including a .223/.279/.319 line and a 70 wRC+ in 2025.
The Mets have already avoided dealing with Taylor, signing him for $3.8MM in 2026. Despite that commitment, he would face bench duty.
That hope is possible Carson Benge eventually taking the center field job from Taylor. President of baseball David Stearns said Benge will have a chance to get a job outside of camp. Benge can play all three outfield spots, but the Mets want to give him a chance to stick in center, where he will have more value.
Hays wouldn’t be the best option available to fill that spot, especially with Kyle Tucker again Cody Bellinger he is on the open market, but he has a good track record.
He was above average on offense. He has a career .262/.313/.435 line, which translates to a 105 wRC+. His 2025 season matched that, as he hit .266/.315/.453, with a 105 wRC+.
He has been ranked as a good defender in his career but has fallen short over the past two seasons. He has been slapped with a minus-10 in Defensive Runs Saved and minus-2 in Outs Above Average since the start of 2024. He also had a few injury challenges and was unable to make it past 103 games played in those two seasons.
Hays has his qualities but is a better fit as a complementary player than a full-time solution. He swings to the right side and has been a subpar hitter against good pitchers in his career. However, he has a .282/.340/.479 line and a platoon-friendly 124 wRC+. The split was even more extreme in 2025, with Hays hitting .319/.400/.549 with a 155 wRC+ against southpaws.
An outfielder who can crush lefties is still worth something. The Mariners just gave Rob Refsnyder $6.25MM for the same profile.
Benge is a lefty and has shown significant difference in the minors this year, with a .232/.407/.326 line against lefties compared to a .295/.379/.512 line against righties.
The Mets are also regularly linked to it Luis Robert Jr. by rumor. He’s flashed MVP at the rim but has been Hays-ian the last two years. He has struggled to stay on the pitch and is giving up less offense but in greater numbers against left-backs.
Robert will earn $20MM next year and will require the Mets to send prospects to the White Sox in return. Chicago may be willing to eat some of the money but that will increase their demands in the prospect department.
Perhaps the Mets are looking at Hays as an affordable alternative to Robert. Hays hasn’t played center since 2023 but has done so regularly before his growing number of injuries in recent seasons. Perhaps a short-team role can help him stay healthy and increase his contributions.
That could bump Taylor to a fifth outfielder where he can be used as a pinch runner and defensive player. Taylor is also a good skater but has been a little bit different in his career, which makes him less suitable as a team guy.
Even if Hays is brought in, that shouldn’t end the team’s career on the field. They are linked to Bellinger and logically fit Tucker. It is reported that they have also shown interest in trade candidates such as Lars Nootbaar again Ramon Laureano. They may be interested in other foreign players even if they haven’t been publicly linked to them yet.
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images
