Kansas City Royals
Dating back to the 2025 trade deadline, Hays was a name mentioned as a good fit for the Royals to add to their lineup as they pushed for a postseason spot. With the Reds in contention for a spot of their own, the Royals pivoted to Mike Yastrzemski.
Now, with “Yaz” alongside Hays in free agency, the Royals should look to revisit those rumors and bring in the right-handed bat that would be a welcome addition to that outfield. An outfield currently set of John Rave, Kyle Isbel, and Jac Caglianone is not what a team looking to contend should be sending out on a regular basis.
The Royals’ bench is also in need of an upgrade. Given how left-handed-heavy the current projected lineup looks, adding Hays to the starting outfield and moving one of the current projected lefties onto the bench would help build the necessary depth needed to make a run.
New York Mets
The Mets recently made a trade that would seemingly open up a starting outfield spot for them on Opening Day. Even before the trade, this was an outfield that truly needed upgrades if they wanted to look past their 2025 failures and return to the postseason.
The Rangers and Mets are finalizing a swap that would send Marcus Semien to the Big Apple in exchange for Brandon Nimmo, per @JeffPassan!
A big shakeup for two teams that had disappointing seasons in 2025. pic.twitter.com/g8MAl2QTb0
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) November 23, 2025
Their deadline acquisition of Cedric Mullins ended up flopping. This lineup as a whole could use another dependable hitter in their lineup and Hays would provide them with a cheaper option that would allow for them to tackle the other needs across their roster.
Being able to play center field for this team is where Hays’ would bring the most value. While Tyrone Taylor has proven to be a solid option, the offense would benefit from being able to use him and his 70 wRC+ periodically, rather than on an every day basis.