Teoscar Hernandez market heating up fast.
The Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays are all looking at Teoscar Hernandez as a back up plan if they don't land Juan Soto.
The Blue Jays have interest in a reunion with Hernandez but Anthony Santander appears to be Toronto's chief back up plan of Soto isn't signed, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
The Red Sox intend to pursue Teoscar Hernandez if they don't sign Juan Soto, per source. Boston is believed to prefer Hernandez over Anthony Santander. The Blue Jays are also in the mix for Hernandez, though it appears they prefer the switch-hitting Santander.- Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 8, 2024
All suitors involved all have «serious interest» in Hernandez's services, with one noteworthy caveat, all three clubs are in the running to land Juan Soto.
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 to $730 million
The Dodgers are 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 most insiders figure Hernandez won't make his own decision until after Soto signs.
Hernandez has previously 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.
Although 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 Red 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 Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
The Yankees shouldn't be overlooked as contenders, as Hernandez has also enjoyed a lot of success at Yankee Stadium over the years as a Blue Jay.�
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 Anthony Rizzo and Gleybor Torres are unlikely to return.
