Mets broadcast analyst Keith Hernandez apologized after referring to players traded from New York earlier this week as “garbage.”
Hernandez, 72, a five-time All-Star during his 17-season career in the majors, was chatting with SNY play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen before Tuesday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians, USA Today reported.
Hernandez’s slip of the tongue occurred as he summarized the Mets’ trading activity.
“They definitely shuffled. They brought in the truck and took out all the garbage,” he said. “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.”
"They definitely shuffled, brought in the truck and took out all the garbage" - Keith Hernandez on the Mets' fire sale pic.twitter.com/q6RAzp7Z8c
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 5, 2026
Moments later, as the Guardians were delivering the game’s first pitch, Hernandez offered an apology, USA Today reported.
“I said, ‘Got out the garbage,’ That’s a poor choice of words, folks” Hernandez said. “I don’t want these guys beating me up.
“I can’t believe that word came out of my mouth, so my apologies.”
"I said, 'got out the garbage.' That's a poor choice of words...I can't believe that word came out of my mouth, so my apologies" - Keith Hernandez pic.twitter.com/e4WYeeX9Xw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 5, 2026
The new-look Mets won the game, 6-2.
The team had traded Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes. Peralta struggled in his debut on Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing seven runs.
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