Teoscar Hernandez’s market will reportedly ‘heat up’ once Juan Soto signs, and Red Sox are in on the outfielder
The Red Sox and Yankees could be in for another bidding war if neither team lands Soto.
Juan Soto has dominated this offseason as he patiently makes a decision on his next team. And, once Soto does sign off on his massive contract, a lot of other dominoes around the MLB will begin to fall.
Among the biggest of those is another outfielder, Teoscar Hernandez. His slow start to free agency is likely as a direct result of the Soto sweepstakes. Being a fellow top-end outfielder, Hernandez’s market is nearly identical to Soto’s.
As reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Hernandez’s market is expected to “heat up” after the Soto signing. The Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly all involved.
So, it’s possible that immediately upon the conclusion of the bidding war for Soto, Boston and New York might immediately re-engage in another free agent bidding war if both fail to land the golden goose.
“Obviously, Hernandez is a very logical pivot for the teams who don’t land Soto. He’s expected to let it play out that way,” Cotillo wrote.
Hernandez’s one-year deal last season seemed to work out well, as the outfielder had a strong season, won a World Series, and generated a lot of buzz for himself that seemed to lack in his last run at free agency.
All three interested parties should be able to stake a legitimate claim at Hernandez in this free agency window.
The Red Sox showed interest in Hernandez last offseason, and reportedly offered the slugger a two-year contract, but didn’t meet the value Hernandez was looking for. Still, the 32-year-old expressed interest in Boston, and if the Red Sox ownership group is to be believed, the team is more willing to spend money this offseason.
The Dodgers, of course, signed Hernandez last season, and The Athletic reported mutual interest in the two sides coming together on a longer-term deal to retain the key player.
And the Yankees reached the World Series last season, which gives them leverage in what they can pitch to Hernandez from a competitive standpoint, whereas the Red Sox are looking to emerge from a few struggling years. New York also has a better track record of opening up the wallet over the last few offseasons than Boston does.
If the Red Sox miss out on Soto, luring Hernandez to Boston would be a mutual fit. Hernandez is a right-handed bat who would likely fill the production hole left behind by Tyler O’Neill, who signed a deal with the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
It’s worth noting that last month, Jim Bodwen listed Hernandez and Anthony Santander as two players “more likely” to sign with the Red Sox than Soto. Separate reports from Saturday indicated that Boston has also now reached out to Santander.
Hernandez batted .272 in 2024 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI. He’d be a complimentary piece to the middle of Boston’s lineup.
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