Keith Hernandez apologizes for calling discarded Mets players ‘garbage’

The New York Mets completed their fire sale by trading away Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes and others at the deadline. Or, as Keith Hernandez put it, they took out the trash.

As Gary Cohen and Hernandez set the stage for the Mets and Cleveland Guardians Tuesday night on SNY, they discussed the team’s new-look roster after their trade deadline fire sale. Because when trading players for prospects at the deadline is the high point for a team with championship expectations, your season has reached dumpster fire status. And according to Keith Hernandez, the dumpster just unloaded some of its garbage.

“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

“They definitely shuffled, brought in the truck and took out all the garbage, so to speak,” Hernandez bluntly stated. “But this is a turnaround for this club.”

While Hernandez may have thought of Peralta, Holmes, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, and Tyrone Taylor as garbage, one team’s trash is another team’s treasure. But it seemed like Hernandez may have immediately recognized “garbage” was the wrong term. Because he stumbled a bit as he continued on to say, “It’s a new phase of Mets broadcast…not the broadcast. But a new phase of this Mets season and Met future.”

And after a commercial break, Hernandez thought better of the comment, issuing a quick apology during the first inning.

“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

“In that open I said, ‘got out the garbage.’ That’s a poor choice of words, folks,” Hernandez 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.”

It was certainly a strange choice of words. But as the Mets attempt to sell fans on continuing to watch this lost season for their youth movement, an unfiltered Keith Hernandez remains the best reason to keep watching.