Pirates Among Top Landing Spots For Dodgers Star
If the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to make a splash this offseason, few would be bigger than landing one of the Los Angeles Dodgers' best players on their run to winning the World Series.
Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly listed the top nine landing spots for Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández and had the Pirates at No. 3. Pittsburgh only trailed the Kansas City Royals.
"This team needs more thump, and Hernández would give them that," Kelly wrote. "He could be the starting right fielder in the early years of a three- or four-year contract, and potentially shift to DH once McCutchen is finished playing. That is if Nutting is willing to pay to improve his team."
Hernández signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers, banking on himself to play well enough in hopes of landing a big contract this offseason. He went on to have a career year, hitting 33 home runs and driving in 99 runs while slashing .272/.339/.501. Hernández's 33 homers and 4.3 WAR were the best of his career
The 32-year-old two-time All-Star also played well in the postseason for Los Angeles, slashing .250/.352/.417 with three home runs and 12 RBIs across 16 games. He also had a pivotal game-tying two-run double for the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning.
Hernández hit one home run, drove in four runs and slashed .350/.381/.550 in the World Series.
Hernández won't come cheap, as he's one of the top hitters not named Juan Soto. Few players make more sense for the Pirates than the Dodgers outfielder.
Pittsburgh ranked in the bottom 10 in nearly every major hitting category and if it's going to improve in 2025, the bats have to provide better run support for what could be one of the better pitching staffs next season. Hernandez has hit at least 25 home runs in four straight seasons and driven in at least 90 runs in three of the last four.
But for as much sense as Hernández would make for Pittsburgh, it would require the franchise to stray far from the norm. The largest contract the Pirates have handed out to a free agent was a three-year $39 million deal to left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano in 2014. Hernández will blow that contract out of the water wherever he signs
With a star in Paul Skenes and other solid pieces in place, now should be the time that Pittsburgh goes all in for a player like Hernández. Whether or not it chooses to do so will likely determine the team's ceiling in 2025.
"We'll see just how committed owner Bob Nutting is to spending this offseason, but the Pirates have a legitimate superstar in likely NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes," Kelly wrote. "They would be wise to try to maximize the window in which A) he's healthy and B) he hasn't gotten more expensive than Nutting is willing to pay for."
