The 39- or 43-year-old righthander last pitched in the big leagues in 2007, when he went 9-5, 3.72 for the Mets in 24 starts and three relief appearances, holding opponents to a .206 batting average. After October 2007 surgery to repair a tendon on a toe on his right foot, Hernandez logged 15.2 innings at three levels of the Mets farm system in 2008 while working toward a big league comeback. His rehab work was cut short in July as he needed follow-up surgery to remove a bunion on the same foot.

While this is a non-roster deal, it’s clearly an effort to see what Hernandez has left with an eye toward calling on him as a reinforcement for the big league staff at some point.