Keith Hernandez and SNY reach contract agreement, per media insider Boomer Esiason

SNY and Keith Hernandez reaching a contract agreement was the only viable result of their negotiations. Now, a deal will reportedly be finalized this week.

Despite some of their lavish free agent signings, highlighted by Justin Verlander, Mets fans wouldn’t have been able to cope with the loss of Keith Hernandez in an offseason where they already watched Jacob deGrom walk to Texas. Just last week, Hernandez’s status with SNY appeared murky at best, with New York Post Mets beat writer Mike Puma reporting both sides remained a distance apart in their negotiations. But Monday morning, WFAN host and apparent media insider Boomer Esiason broke some good news for Mets fans.

BREAKING: @7BoomerEsiason says Keith Hernandez will be back in the SNY Booth for Mets games this season. pic.twitter.com/6LrtQewiBr

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) February 13, 2023

“I feel like Mets fans should be happy that Keith Hernandez is gonna be back in the SNY booth,” Esiason told co-host Gregg Giannotti Monday on their WFAN morning show. “I have it on what I feel is really good sources that he will be back in the SNY booth. And hopefully it will be announced this week.”

Hernandez’s SNY contract has been a topic of conversation ever since his pending free agency was revealed on-air by co-analyst Ron Darling last October.

“That’s not in my hands,” Hernandez said during SNY’s final Mets broadcast of the 2022 MLB season. “I would love to come back, that’s for sure. I enjoy what I do, I enjoy working with you guys.”

Ever since Steve Cohen purchased the Mets from the Wilpon family in 2020, the franchise’s fanbase of trained pessimists hasn’t had to worry much about money. But baseball’s richest owner didn’t purchase SNY. Making matters worse, the Wilpons still own SNY through Sterling Equities. With the Wilpons reputation of being notoriously cheap, paired with Hernandez recently telling Tucker Carlson he’s bored of watching baseball, Mets fans had reason to worry whether the former MVP first baseman would be returning for his 18th season in the booth.

After more than four months of contract negotiations, and less than two weeks before the Mets play their first Spring Training game, it sounds like SNY and Hernandez have finally reached a deal.

[WFAN]