New York Mets commentator and legend Keith Hernandez wasn't too receptive to the idea of giving his No. 17 to Shohei Ohtani if he were to join the team. Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman called him out for it.
Once the 2023 season ends, all of baseball will be keeping their eyes peeled for updates on Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar for the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani is scheduled to become a free agent, and could likely command a $500 million contract from an interested team. But, it all depends on where Ohtani wants to play.
One name that has been linked consistently to Ohtani is the New York Mets, due in part to team owner Steve Cohen's willingness to spend money. If Ohtani does join the Mets, there is one issue — the No. 17 is retired. Keith Hernandez wore the number during his time with the team, and it has been retired since last year.
During the broadcast of the Mets' game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night, Hernandez was asked by fellow commentator Gary Cohen if he would be willing to give his blessing to wear the number. First, Hernandez said he couldn't but then when Cohen asked him if he would give Ohtani his permission to wear the retired number, he said, "Don't ask."
You can listen to the exchange between Cohen and Hernandez, courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina, at this link.
Marcus Stroman calls out Keith Hernandez for not being willing to give his No. 17 to Shohei Ohtani if he signs with the Mets
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher and former New York Met Marcus Stroman weighed in on Twitter, saying that Ohtani deserves to wear that number wherever he plays. Then, Stroman took a shot at Hernandez, saying, "Imagine losing Ohtani in free agency because some dinosaur wouldn't give his number up." Also when responding to a fan who commented on a post, Stroman said, "it's a number, who cares."
Ohtani wore No. 17 since signing his contract with the Angels back in 2017. When asked at his introductory press conference why he chose to wear that number, Ohtani joked through an interpreter, "I actually wanted to wear No. 27, but somebody else was wearing that number." He was, of course, referring to Mike Trout.
Stroman joined the Mets back in 2019 when he was traded by the Toronto Blue Jays. In 11 starts that year, Stroman recorded a 3.77 ERA, a 1.475 WHIP, a 4-2 win-loss record, 60 strikeouts, and 23 walks over 59.2 innings. Stroman opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns as he recovered from a torn calf muscle. In 2021, Stroman put up a 3.02 ERA, a 1.145 WHIP, 158 strikeouts, and 44 walks over 179.0 innings (33 starts).
After the 2021 season, Stroman signed a three-year, $71 million contract with the Cubs.
It's anyone's guess where Ohtani will sign this upcoming winter. Can the Mets sign Ohtani, and will the No. 17 be a dealbreaker? Who knows. But given that Hernandez just had his number retired, it didn't sound like he was too thrilled at the idea of someone else wearing it for the Mets.
