2:17PM: The Blue Jays also have interest in Hernandez but Anthony Santander appears to be Toronto’s chief backup target if Soto isn’t signed, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (X link).
1:44PM: The Dodgers and Red Sox were previously linked to Teoscar Hernandez’s market earlier this offseason, and MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that the Yankees are also looking at the free agent slugger. The three suitors all have “serious interest” in Hernandez’s services, with one noteworthy caveat — all three clubs are in the running to land Juan Soto, so Hernandez is viewed as the natural backup plan for all parties if Soto can’t be signed.
The Mets and Blue Jays are the two other teams known to still be pursuing Soto. At the moment, all five teams seem to be still be under consideration even if the Mets and Yankees have reportedly pushed the bidding up into the range of $710-$730MM. Los Angeles is thought to be the least aggressive of Soto’s five suitors and perhaps seems more likely to break away from the pack to pivot towards Hernandez or another option, but Cotillo figures Hernandez won’t make his own decision until after Soto signs.
Hernandez has openly said that returning to the Dodgers is “the priority” of his offseason, and “I’m going to do everything in my power to come back….It feels great to be part of this.” After a down year with the Mariners in 2023, Hernandez rebounded in the best possible way by winning a World Series and hitting .272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs over 652 plate appearances with L.A. last season. Hernandez inked a one-year, $23.5MM contract last winter and now looks poised to land a much heftier multi-year deal this time around.
As sources tell Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (X link), Hernandez’s preference is still to remain with Los Angeles, though the Red Sox have a solid case in their own right for the slugger’s services. The Sox made a push for Hernandez last year in offering him a two-year, $28MM deal that Hernandez turned down in order to take the greater flexibility of the Dodgers’ one-year offer, plus L.A. was the more clear-cut contender heading into 2024. Hernandez “has long been intrigued by the idea of playing at Fenway Park and he’s a fan of Alex Cora,” Abraham writes, so with a World Series ring now in tow, Hernandez could now explore a move to Boston and perhaps a big role in a future Red Sox championship team.
The Yankees shouldn’t be overlooked as contenders, as Hernandez has also enjoyed a lot of success at Yankee Stadium over the years. New York might have the most incentive of all these teams to bolster the lineup if Soto departs, even if adding a big bat in the infield is also a priority since Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo are free agents and unlikely to return.
Rejecting the Dodgers’ qualifying offer probably won’t have much impact on Hernandez’s market, though the Yankees and Red Sox would face a differing penalty level for signing the outfielder (or any player who rejected a QO). Because New York was a luxury tax payor in 2024, signing Hernandez would cost the Yankees $1MM in international bonus pool money and their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 draft. Boston would have to give up $500K of int’l pool funds and their second-highest 2025 draft pick. Los Angeles, of course, wouldn’t have to give up anything to sign Hernandez, as he is one of the Dodgers’ own free agents.
Teo is stud OF, everything he touched this year turned to gold n he is so much cheaper than Soto. Rather have him n cpl top tier Ps than Soto n still have money left over.
No…he’s a good hitter. Glove-wise…not so hot. He’d be better off going to a team where he can split time between RF and DH. Plus, he’s entering his 32nd year….a couple of more years and his bat speed will begin to slide.
The Dodgers can keep that bum.
yep. the bum that helped stomp BOTH NY teams in the playoffs.
You said it right
No…he helped beat the Yankees. Against the Mets, he completely disappeared.
@Jonathan
That’s the classy stuff we expect from the likes of you. Like the guy who screamed “Freeman you suck” during the WS cancer moment of silence at Yankee Stadium.
He could be the guy that pulled the ball out of mookies glove
Teo to Red Sox for 4 years 100 mil
Even though it makes no sense since they have Anthony and Duran and Abreu and yoshida and Rafaela that’s what makes it a Red Sox move
Well said. And it leaves ownership more money to spend on their soccer team.
It’s been reported tonight that Boston is trying hard for Teoscar and prefer him over Santander
If the Dodgers give him enough he will stay in LA. There’s no chance he goes to NY with that beautiful beard of his.
A like just won’t cover it here
I keep refreshing for soto announcement, chop chop buddy
Why? Not happening today so come back around 1 pm cst on Monday.
It happened. Soto fleeced the Mets
Teoscar Hernandez is kinda the perfect 2-3 year bridge player who will be perfectly adequate in an above average way and basically everybody agrees he’s a $20M AAV player at this point, so it’s really just about where he wants to be amidst his suitors.
I still think he stays in LA.
I think bidding gets aggressive enough that he potentially winds up with 4 years/$110M.
He’s a $20M ish player but because everybody agrees with that, his market will push it by like 40% a year and an extra year or two, so what should be like 2 years/$40M will become like 4 years/$110M.
How is he a 20ish player if you admit that the market is at least 40% higher?
I think that’s his value level but I also think that everybody’s prices are getting pushed up a ton.
Spending has truly exploded and WAR value etc is basically meaningless now.
TTO: Spending has risen because teams have the means and the motivation.
This time… it’s serious
O’Neil is off the market, so teams are putting this stuff out there in order to drive down Soto’s latest counter.
The only player the Jays aren’t interested in…but should be….
“Are you interested”
“No, we’re seriously interested”
“Ok, you’re seriously interested” got it.
Swapping out O’Neill for Teoscar is NOT change for the sake of change.
Teoscar seems like more a of Red Sox guy than Soto. More their speed. A lot more money left for the Fenway Group to spend on European soccer.
pjmcnu: What does that even mean?
Implying Sox ownership cares more about Liverpool FC, their “other” team….
I meant the piece about Hernandez seeming like more of a Red Sox guy.
You could just let pjmcnu answer.
Obviously, he thinks they care more about spending on an EPL team than an MLB team….
I think he means he’s second fiddle to Soto and of course Boston has always been second fiddle to NY, even on the west coast we know that
He’s calling Sox ownership “cheap”….
How does an opening day OF of Duran in LF, Rafaela in CF and Abreu in RF sound? Not ideal, but not the end of the world as long as they get TWO elite SP.
Just don’t screw this up Bres. $700m is way outta line and completely absurd. Just walk away and focus on Burnes/Fried. Also dont be afraid to break up the Big Four for Crochet/Alcantara/Gilbert/JJones.
And sign Alonso.
Yeah, I said it
Pass. We don’t need another Stanton type from the right side…..or left. If no Soto then pivot to Profar.
Doubt he signs before Soto as he’s the #1 alternative. So yeah, all of the major teams looking at Soto most likely have serious interest in Teo, too, goes without saying.
Hal is too scared he’ll take it to do that. He doesn’t want to spend $700M (he’s no George). He’s carefully trying to stay just close enough to Uncle Steve’s offer to appear to be trying to Yankee fans, but far enough below that Soto won’t accept.
The Jays should be in on Hernandez.
Whomever “wins” the Soto sweepstakes will be crippled for the next decade, and he’s nowhere the draw of Ohtani. I hope the Mets or Yankees get him.
As a Sox fan, I’m hoping for the Mets.
Teoscar should sign a 3 year $132M deal with the A’s at $44 M per year with opt outs every year,
I named my son Teoscar
Teoscar the Grouch?
I wonder what Santander’s numbers are in Toronto?
I know Lord Mountcastle likes to hit there
But Tony I am not sure
in 2022, he had 2 homers and an OPS closer to 650 in 7 games
in 2023, he had 2 homers and an OPS close to 900 in 7 games
in 2024, he had 4 homers and an OPS around 1000 over 7 games
He’s increasingly enjoyed Toronto. This years Jays pitching staff was very accommodating though, so hard to say how much is the park and how much is the poor pitching.
I think it would be easier on the Blue Jay Soul if they signed Santander
He has power…he is a decent hitter
Pretty good arm and defensively and good attitude
To me, he’s similar to Teoscar. They’ve failed to replace Teo’s production since he left. I’d be fine with Santander. They aren’t getting Soto, so either is a great fall back. They absolutely need someone like that in the lineup, someone who can pair up with Vladdy.
The Dodgers want him, he says he wants to stay, the Dodgers are not getting outbid and the Dodgers are not getting Soto so yes, 1+1+1+1 still equals 4.
Teo is the most valuable guy on the roster. No one throws sunflower seeds in a guy’s face after hitting a dinger better than he does….
10 years/300 million sounds about right.
Teo is a Dodger 4 life!
Under pay.
11 years/$550M
Looks like bos, tor and lad might be out on soto
Funny, a year ago Teoscar Hernandez was so worthless that the Mariners, who have a terrible offense, passed on even offering Hernandez the qualifying offer for fear he would just take it…
Talk about a market moving year for Hernandez…
I think whomever signs Hernandez if it is more three years is going to be very disappointed. He might be decent for another year or two, but buyer beware with him!
Yeah this is why I think 2 years/$40M is perfect, but if it got pushed to like 3 years/$75M that’d be okay- but anything beyond that would be a true overpay.
The red sox really have no specfic need of an outfeilder..more the rh bat but they can score in the top end of mlb with the current lineup ..they need pitching
Both are also nice fits in San Francisco
You guys have stocked up enough! Let some other teams try!!!!
Giants ruining baseball.
If other teams wanted him, he would be signed. The Dodgers WANT him.
The fact that all the Soto suitors except for the Mets are now breathlessly after Teo is very revealing.
I think Boras and Cohen have an agreement in principle for Soto and are just ironing out the details.
Stearns and Cohen have avoided leaks all winter so I wouldn’t read much into that. Montas and Holmes signings came out of nowhere.
Bloom in St.Louis was the guy who fell in love with Yoshida and gave him his out-sized bag…it would have been the polite thing then to take Yoshida with him to St. Louis.
soto needs to make up his f’ing mind already
and the rest of the market can finally heat up
Red Sox appear to be playing the same game as the last 3 years. They are in on everybody, but don’t offer enough to be competitive. They will probably sign the 35 year old Asian starting pitcher and a platoon infielder.
The hot stove is actually moving quite quickly this off season I think..
He’ll probably resign with the Dodgers.
All teams in on Soto have Teo as their backup plan.
Not all of them. If the Mets don’t get Soto I think that Teo is pretty far down on their list.
Forget Soto and trades. Red Sox need to control their own destiny and sign:
– Hernández to 4 years / $100 million
– Fried to 4 years / $120 million w 2 player option years
– Burnes to 4 years / $140 million w 2 player option years
Which player(s) says no?
Fried and Burnes.
6 years / $30m a year / $180m total is higher than what mlb trade rumors predicted for Fried.
6 years / $35m a year / $210m total is higher than what mlb trade rumors predicted for Burnes.
mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/2024-25-top-50-mlb-free…
Now that Soto has signed, the Shatkins can get back to doing nothing.
Toronto will sign no one of value but Shatkins will make long speeches about how they were in on everyone, but it just didn’t work out. It’s their mantra.