Mets have some interest in outfielder Austin Hays

The Mets are reportedly interested in free agent left fielder Austin Hays, according to Jon Heyman. The team is discussing the outfielder internally as they look to bolster their lineup.

Hays, an eight-year veteran who has bounced around between the Orioles, Phillies, and, most recently, the Reds, is coming off a year in which he slashed .266/.315/.453 (.768 OPS) with 15 homers, 60 runs scored, 64 runs batted in, and a 105 wRC+ in 102 games. He finished 2025 with a 1.2 fWAR which, all in all, was a nice bounce back after he struggled in 2024 (97 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR in 85 games). The 2023 All-Star has played all three outfield positions in his career, but he solely played left field in 2025 and did not spend any time in center or right.

The interest in Hays likely stems from his output against left-handed pitching. The right-handed hitting Hays slashed .319/.400/.519 with a 155 wRC+ against lefties (105 plate appearances) while hitting a much more pedestrian .249/.286/.422 with an 88 wRC+ against righties (311 plate appearances). The club, whose lineup is left-hand heavy, has been rumored to be exploring some right-handed hitting options to bolster their offense, though the thinking is they would want someone who can play first base as well. Overall, Hays is a squarely average hitter (43rd percentile in batting run value) and fielder (55th percentile in fielding run value) overall, but someone who can still produce in their lineup.

The news of the club’s interest in Hays comes one day after they traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics. With McNeil’s and Nimmo’s departures, the club is will be actively seeking some outfielders to fill the roster, but a lot of work remains to be done. As of now, the only outfielders on the 40-man roster are Juan Soto, Tyrone Taylor, Jared Young, Ji Hwan Bae, and Nick Morabito (though Carson Benge is expected to get a chance to compete for a spot come spring training).