Reports from the weekend suggested that the Blue Jays had only limited interest in a reunion with Teoscar Hernandez, as Toronto was focused on Juan Soto and then on Anthony Santander as its next choice for an outfield upgrade. GM Ross Atkins made something of a clearer statement of the Jays’ stance on Hernandez, telling the Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm and other reporters that “there are so many positives about him that we are definitely interested in figuring out a way for that to be a possibility.”
Hernandez was a prospect fighting for playing time in a crowded Astros outfield at the time of the July 2017 trade deadline, but his career path changed when Houston dealt Hernandez and Nori Aoki to Toronto for veteran reliever Francisco Liriano. It was a win-win on both sides, as Liriano pitched well in the playoffs to help Houston win the World Series, and Hernandez emerged as a power bat over his six seasons in Toronto. Hernandez hit .263/.320/.503 with 129 home runs in 2419 PA from 2017-22, twice winning AL Silver Slugger honors.
As potent as Hernandez’s bat was, his penchant for strikeouts and his underwhelming defense led the Blue Jays to trade him to the Mariners for Erik Swanson during the 2022-23 offseason. Swanson enjoyed a strong season in the Jays’ bullpen in 2023 while Hernandez’s numbers took a dip (to a 106 wRC+) in Seattle, so the slugger headed into free agency on the heels of a pretty underwhelming platform year.
Hernandez chose to bet on himself by taking a one-year, $23.5MM contract with the Dodgers, guessing that he would return to form in Los Angeles and put himself in shape for a much pricier deal this winter. The decision was a success in every sense of the word, as Hernandez not only hit .272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs, he also won his first World Series ring as a major part of the Dodgers’ title run.
Trading Hernandez was far from the only reason for the Blue Jays’ offensive struggles over the last two seasons, as inconsistent to mediocre performances from pretty much everyone (even Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2023, before his big return to form this past season) have turned the lineup into a big question mark. Beyond Soto and Santander, the Jays have also been linked to Alex Bregman, Ha-Seong Kim, and Willy Adames as the team has looked to jumpstart a return to contention in the Jays’ last season of control over Guerrero and Bo Bichette.
With Soto and Adames now off the market, Hernandez’s stock has only improved as one of the top bats remaining on the free agent market. MLBTR ranked him 11th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents and projected Hernandez for a three-year, $60MM deal as he enters his age-32 season. Because Hernandez rejected the Dodgers’ qualifying offer, the Jays would have to give up $500K in international bonus pool money and their second-highest choice in the 2025 draft to sign him or any other QO-rejecting free agent. The Blue Jays were willing to give that compensatory package and upwards of $700MM to sign Soto, so technically, some money is there to make a much lower bid for Hernandez’s services.
As easy as installing Hernandez back in left field would be for the Jays, it isn’t necessarily certain that he’d be eager to rejoin a team that rather unceremoniously dealt him away two years ago. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers also seem like motivated suitors due to their own misses in the Soto sweepstakes. In regards to Los Angeles, what seemed to be a likely reunion between Hernandez and the Dodgers has yet to materialize due to a gap in negotiations, plus L.A. also added Michael Conforto to its outfield mix.
I can’t see teo going from WS back to purgatory with Atkins and Shapiro
All things being equal I wouldn’t want to play for Shapiro and Atkins unless it was a pure overpay.
I agree , these two characters put off a lot of people with what they put out in their interviews when interviewed by any one , I can only imagine what players and agents think about them on one on one interviews .
The Jays are in for another lousy season if they do not sign at least 2 of these four
Players , Santander , Bregman, Hernandez,
Or the polar bear from Mets , or if they can trade for another big bat they will finish in last place and Bo and Vlad will leave Toronto especially after last season complaint by vet players on the lack of moves by management to help the talent on team. After last season free agent season with the move they made I predicted the would finish last , same thing if the above does not happen )
2017 Astros********
Its time to move on buddy, yes it was and will always be a stain on baseball, but you don’t see people still talking about the black Sox anymore.
You just did!
Why would anyone go to Canada? Not good.
Canadian Kit Kat’s are way better than American ones.
Based on this comment, I assume you live in some backwater American town and are married to your cousin.
Sounds better than Canada that became a 3rd world country overnight.
Hey, come on up and visit us! There is not as much gun play as you are used to, and it won’t be 120° all summer, and we don’t have leader that plans to arrest half of us, and our beer has too much alcohol for you, and people might be nice to you, but hey, maybe, possibly, there are places on the planet that are just as swell as your good ‘Ole America.
Right on with all your points, minus the arresting leader. Our guy is top dog on the globe. Your “guy” will soon be mounted
The current PM of Canada is nothing to brag about and I say that as a born and bred Canadian. We have just as much BS in our government as our southern neighbours do.
You will soon become the 51st state of the USA. Don’t worry, you’ll soon be part of the greatest country on Earth. No need to pretend to be an American anymore.
Nope we’ll remain our own sovereign nation and will turn things around after the next election.
It’s hardly a display of sovereignty when your leader runs off to Florida to seek favor from Donald Trump.
Just wait till DJT tariffs Canada in oblivion.
Read my previous post slowly so you understand how I mention a change in government. Too many big words?
Hmmm…maybe google “tariffs”.
You still have time to stock up on heating oil and gasoline. Freezing in the dark may not be on everyone’s minds at this time of year…time for Atkins to get Fried.
Ha! What a sheep, thinking a new government will make any difference. You’ll always be under our control. Now, kneel down, you little pawn.
It’s absolutely precious that you think Canada stands a chance in a trade war against the U.S.
You clearly have no idea what’s going on north of your border. The Libs will be decimated next election and the Conservatives will win a majority. They will work with the Trump administration. Also one of our current Conservative MPs went to Yale with JD Vance so there is a relationship there.
Keep beating your chest online to people you don’t know lol maybe grab another one of your watered down beers.
Exactly. Neither I nor any other American knows much about your country, and we never will, because we simply don’t care. You, on the other hand, probably watch our elections and follow along like a wannabe American.
As long as you’re proud of your ignorance that’s a win for you.
He was already in Canada for 6yrs. Heard it’s an amazing place to play other the the 2 dummies running that Club
Canadians don’t seem to be screaming that everything is awful, half their neighbors are their enemies, and that society needs to be torn apart like their southern neighbors. So they must be doing something right.
“Hold my Blue”
-Canadian truckers
What’s a “blue”?
gregorydefelice…..please put some of that worldly education to use, and expand on your opinion of “not good”.
He doesn’t know how.
@Gregory Canada has real Maple Syrup and also poutine.
Really? After finishing in the AL East basement, 20 games out, the Blue Jays should be interested in everybody. And, according to all the “Blue Jays interested” stories appearing here, they apparently are. Cool it.
Yup. Almost as lopsided as the Yordan Alvarez trade.
How are they considering the TEO trade a win-win.
Liriano 2017 Postseason – 0-1, 2 1/3 INNINGS, and just 2/3 in the WS. He made no difference what so ever.
That’s Highway Robbery!
The Blue Jays aren’t going to be winning a WS any time soon. So, I don’t understand why Teo would want to go there.
When has it ever worked out well to sign a 32 year old with an inconsistent history coming off one of his best seasons and a world series ring? He’s going to get a large long term contract and go into probably-immediate decline and clog up the DH spot.
I suppose it’d be a way to try to get Vladdy to re-sign, heh.
Ya’ can’t believe a single word coming out of the total lackie atkins mouth or his lousy GM boss shapiro ….!!
The Yankees could overpay both Teoscar 4 years/100 million and Alonso 6 years/180 million. They’ll combine to hit at least 70 homers. That should make up for the loss of Soto. No way Teoscar wants to go back to Toronto. They’re best bet is Santander.
Gotta admit all these Toronto is interested articles are amusing to see each day
The compensation mentioned for this potential signing is incorrect, no? Jays were under cbt threshold. Wouldn’t it be half mill of intl $ and 2nd pick?
The Blue Jays themselves have said they were under. Some of the payroll trackers like roster resource, have them finishing over. Maybe that’s what the author used as the source?
It’s happened that a team has become deadline sellers and later brought a player back in free agency, but how often is it that a team trades away one of the key pieces of a contending team and then the same leadership group turns around and signs that player again? Feels unlikely. I guess if the Dodgers bow out, there’s a pathway. I feel like it’s more likely Teo goes to the Red Sox and that opens up the possibility that they Jays could have a shot at Santander.
Is there anyone that the Blue Jays aren’t “interested in”?
I see Philly swooping in and signing him.
For anyone interested, the BlueJays actually have a marketing and “management” strategy to enquire about all free agents. Shapiro and Atkins believe they can track the FA market that way. The information is then put into one of their internal custom apps.
In other words, they are not really interested in all these free agents, it is fake. This process is Shapiro and Atkin’s way of assessing the FA market.