By WFAN.com
Keith Hernandez will be back in the SNY booth for the 2019 season, so he joined 'Boomer & Gio' to provide his early impressions of Brodie Van Wagenen, thoughts on Jacob deGrom's deal and much more as Opening Day has arrived.
"I think the team is much better than last year," Hernandez told Boomer & Gio. "It's going to go as far as its starting pitching. You got a world-class closer. You got Lugo. If the Mets are ahead from the 7th inning on, I think they're going to win 95% of them."
The Mets finally signed their ace to a five-year deal that made Mets fans very happy. Did they have to get that extension done for deGrom by Opening Day?
"I didn't really think so, no. I don't think Syndergaard's comments had anything to do with the signing," said Hernandez. "He didn't know the extend of how deep they were in negotiations. Sure, they had a deadline, Opening Day. You're talking $100 million plus, I do not think you're going to take those negotiations off the table because it's Opening Day. That was just posturing by the agent. With Brodie, I think he has good relations with agents, he certainly knows them. He did the right thing by deGrom by giving him $17 million and then extending his contract because of the other pitchers that were given extensions for big money. It kind of put the pressure on Brodie to get it done. I was a bit surprised at the five years because he'll be 35 and the no trade clause. I never liked those. As a player, you love them. From a management standpoint, I don't like them. I'm glad it got done. Everything can go forward now. It's an issue you don't have to deal with."
How will the season pan out? There are four teams that can win the NL East. Who wins it?
"I think you can throw them all up in the air and figure out who comes down in front. Roll the dice. They're very competitive," the former Mets Gold Glove first baseman said. "Injuries are things you can't foretell. It's anybody's game. I'd have to give a little bit of edge right now to Philly with getting Harper. I think Harper in a new environment in that ballpark is going to hit 40 home runs. Everybody has got their flaws. I'm not sold on the Phillies pitching. Atlanta in the second half, their starting pitching fell apart a little bit. Their bullpen I'm not sold on. Everyone has got flaws, the top four teams. I think it's going to come down to September."
You can listen to the entire interview with the former Mets great and SNY analyst in the audio player above.
