Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Teoscar Hernández enjoyed one of the most productive seasons of his career after betting on himself by signing a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.
The All-Star outfielder is now a free agent for the second consecutive winter and should be in a much better position this time around, even with a qualifying offer attached to him.
It is believed that Hernández and the Dodgers have mutual interest in continuing their relationship, but he will surely receive offers from other clubs as well.
According to Will Sammon and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, there have been at least four other teams besides the Dodgers to express interest in signing Hernández:
Besides the Los Angeles Dodgers, four other teams have expressed some level of interest during preliminary conversations with free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández, league sources said.
However, Hernández’s preference remains the Dodgers.
It was previously reported that the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox have shown early interest in Hernández. The Red Sox were among the teams to pursue him last year as well.
Both clubs would stand to benefit from adding a power right-handed hitter such as Hernández to their respective lineups, and the 32-year-old has even more value due to his postseason experience as a World Series champion.
Hernández finished the 2024 season batting .272/.339/.501 with 32 doubles, a career-high 33 home runs and 99 RBI in 154 games.
Hernández’s .840 on-base plus slugging percentage was his highest mark since 2021, when it was .870 in his only other All-Star season.
What qualifying offer means for Teoscar Hernández
Because Hernández was extended the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer, any other team that signs him would have to forfeit a draft pick to the Dodgers.
In that scenario, the Dodgers would receive a pick after the fourth round of the 2025 MLB Draft due to exceeding the luxury tax threshold during the 2024 season.
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