All eyes are on the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes as bidding has reportedly surpassed the $700 million mark. One fellow free agent likely very interested in the outcome is Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernández. Could the Boston Red Sox land him if they’re unsuccessful in wooing Soto to Fenway Park?
Hernández posted a .840 OPS with 33 home runs, 99 RBI and 84 runs scored in 2024 with the Dodgers. He was a crucial piece of the club’s championship puzzle and won his third Silver Slugger Award. Back on the open market after taking a one-year, $23.5 million deal last winter, he’s looking for a bigger payday this time around.
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While the general expectation has been that Hernández will return to LA, both sides aren’t believed to be close on a new deal. This is leaving the opportunity for other teams to potentially snatch him from the Dodgers’ grasp. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo shared a report Saturday on Boston’s continued pursuit of Hernández.
“Red Sox remain in on Teoscar Hernández but face stiff competition from Dodgers and Yankees, per source. That market is expected to heat up once Soto signs, not pre-empt it like (Willy) Adames and (Tyler) O’Neill did,” Cotillo wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Obviously, Hernández is a very logical pivot for the teams who don’t land Soto. He’s expected to let it play out that way. Adames and O’Neill jumped on good deals from non-Soto suitors.”
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden is predicting the outfielder will sign a three-year, $75 million deal this winter. That’s slightly higher than the three-year, $71 million estimate from Spotrac.
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