Darwinzon Hernandez: Former Red Sox Player Eyes MLB Return
Darwinzon Hernandez, a former Red Sox player who posted a 1.48 ERA in Japan this year, is reportedly seeking a return to the United States. The New York Mets, who need a left-handed reliever, are viewed as a logical fit under David Stearns.
Darwinzon Hernandez, a former Red Sox player who posted a 1.48 ERA in Japan this past season, is reportedly looking to return to the United States, and the New York Mets are being cast as a natural landing spot. The left-handed pitcher turns 30 in December.
Hernandez last pitched in American affiliated ball in 2023, with the Baltimore Orioles. Before that, he appeared in 91 games for the Boston Red Sox, with a 5.06 ERA. His walk rate, 7.7 per nine innings (BB/9), was the worst part of that record.
Control fixed overseas
The numbers changed in Japan. This past year he allowed 3.4 walks per nine innings and struck out 11 per nine (K/9), alongside the 1.48 ERA.
In Japan's top league, NPB, he holds a 2.48 ERA across 131.2 innings, averaging 2.9 BB/9 and 11.5 K/9. Control problems had forced him to rework his approach overseas, and the improvement shows in those figures.
Why the Mets fit
New York president of baseball operations David Stearns has shown a pattern with free agents who reinvented themselves abroad and piled up strikeouts. The Mets also need a lefty reliever, and the club has little reason to pass after the lengthy trials of Jefry Yan.
Hernandez still has one minor league option left. That means a team could sign him to a major league contract without being locked in if he struggles.
Jared Young and Brandon Waddell were in a similar position before the 2025 season. Young had two option years left and Waddell one, and both received major league deals after returning from the KBO, South Korea's top league.
What he might cost
Players coming back from overseas rarely earn what a typical free agent with the same numbers would, and incentives can be a large part of the contract. One analysis of the market put Hernandez at no more than $2.5 million, calling that figure generous.
For comparison, Foster Griffin signed for $5.5 million last offseason as a left-handed starter after a 2.57 ERA in Japan. Hernandez should draw wide interest, but the price would not block other moves, the analysis said.
Neither Hernandez nor the Mets has commented on a possible deal.
