Red Sox considering Teoscar Hernandez in free agency: report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Will the Boston Red Sox finally put their money where their mouth is this offseason?
The Red Sox haven’t made the playoffs since 2021 and their biggest free agent additions in that span include shortstop Trevor Story (six years, $140 million in 2022) and Masataka Yoshida ( five years, $90 million in 2023). It remains to be seen whether they will level up this winterbut baseball chief Craig Breslow at least appears to have irons in the fire.
The Red Sox are among the teams interested in free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi ” reported Thursday, adding that the Baltimore Orioles and other clubs were also in the mix.
Hernandez would be a great fit for Boston, which needs right-handed power in its lineup. The 32-year-old hit a career-high 33 homers with 99 RBIs for the Dodgers last season while playing a key role in Los Angeles’ World Series run.
The former Toronto Blue Jays star also loves Fenway Park.
“He may be the most representative Fenway Park hitter in baseball,” our Red Sox insider John Tomase wrote about Hernandez this week. “He has more home runs at Fenway (14) than any other road park, and he’s made no secret of his love for hitters here. He’s coming off a postseason that saw him hit three home runs and score 12 during Los Angeles’ title run, and he would provide a proven, reliable right-handed thunder alongside Rafael Devers for short years and relatively short dollars.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton’s plans Hernandez agrees to an approximately three-year, $69 million deal. That’s actually high by recent Red Sox standards, but if they want to get back into contention after three straight seasons at or below .500, it’s a cost they should be willing to pay.
Boston pursued Hernandez last winter but underestimated him by offering him a two-year, $28 million contract which he turned down to sign a one-year, $23.5 million contract with Los Angeles. If the Red Sox are serious about adding talent this offseason, they shouldn’t repeat this strategy. .
