New York Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez apologized Tuesday night for referring to players traded by the team as "garbage." The comments were made during the pre-game broadcast ahead of the Mets' victory over the Cleveland Guardians.
"They definitely shuffled," Hernandez said on the broadcast, discussing the team's roster changes after the trade deadline. "They brought in the truck and took out all the garbage. This is a turnaround for the club. It’s a new phase of this Mets season and future. Obviously Plan A didn’t work out … you’ve got a lot of young players here, it’s a look to the future."
Following the Mets' 6-2 win, Hernandez retracted his statement. "In that open I said, ‘got out the garbage.’ That’s a poor choice of words, folks," he admitted. "I don’t want these guys beating me up. They got rid of some very, very good players. I can’t believe that word came out of my mouth, so my apologies."
The Mets engaged in a significant sell-off prior to the trade deadline, moving nine players. Among the departures were seven pitchers. Long-time starter David Peterson was traded to the Chicago Cubs in late June. On Sunday, pitcher Freddy Peralta was dealt to the Tampa Bay Rays for a group of prospects.
The team also traded pitcher Clay Holmes to the Cubs for top-100 prospect Jefferson Rojas. The bullpen also saw significant changes, with four relievers – Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, Luke Weaver, and Huascar Brazoban – being traded away. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor was also traded to the Cubs as part of the Holmes deal.
While the Mets' pitching staff will look considerably different for the remainder of the 2026 season, the team's lineup is expected to remain largely unchanged.