Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
While the big pieces of Major League Baseball’s free agency begin to fall off the board, Teoscar Hernández remains on the open market as the top outfielder available.
Hernández has been linked to several teams this offseason, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.
As of late, the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox appear to be the three vying for his services, but the Dodgers remain the subtle favorite.
Hernandez has been vocal about wanting to stay in L.A., but his free agency decision could be swayed by some other factors. One of those could be the stadium and manager as Hernández is fond of the idea of playing in Fenway Park for Red Sox skipper Alex Cora, per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe:
Via a few sources: Teoscar Hernández has told people he would prefer to stay with the Dodgers but has long been intrigued by the idea of playing at Fenway Park and he’s a fan of Alex Cora. It could come down to the Sox and Dodgers.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 8, 2024
Before signing with the Dodgers this past year, Hernández was heavily pursued by the Red Sox. The 32-year-old went on to post one of the best seasons of his career, becoming a postseason force en route to a World Series championship.
Hernández has a great deal of familiarity in the American League East, spending six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2017 to 2022.
If a contract lands him with the Red Sox, his offensive numbers are superb as he’s batted .282/.344.606 with nine doubles, 14 home runs and 36 runs scored over 45 career games in Fenway Park.
Are the Dodgers still the favorite to re-sign Teoscar Hernández?
Following the signing of Juan Soto by the New York Mets, Hernández’s free agent stock rose quite a bit. The reason being is that the Red Sox and Yankees both have needs in their current outfield and missed out on Soto.
For the Dodgers, they share the same issue. Reportedly signing outfielder Michael Confroto to a one-year contract on Sunday checks one box for the possible two outfielders they needed to sign.
Hernández is the other shoe to drop, and for how much he voiced his affinity for the Dodgers about a long-term deal, they share mutual goals. Combining all these factors, a continuation of his tenure out West is more than likely, barring a vast overpay to sway the veteran player’s wishes.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
