Red Sox Linked To 'Impact' $69 Million Dodgers Superstar By Insider

Should the Red Sox poach this slugger from L.A.?

Nov 1, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) speaks to fans during the World Series Championship Celebration at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

If you're a right-handed hitter with a bunch of home runs to your name, chances are that you'll be hearing from the Boston Red Sox this winter.

Though the Red Sox generally had a top-10 offense in Major League Baseball this season, they were far too lefty-dominant. Facing left-handed pitching was a constant struggle, and contributed in a major way to Boston missing out on the playoffs by five games in the standings.

If the Red Sox are going to make it back to October for the first time since 2021, they'll need to add at least one righty bat with some serious thump. And adding a crucial member of the lineup that just won the World Series might be a good place to start.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández, who was a target for the Red Sox last winter, is now a free agent once again. On Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic discussed Hernández's fit for Boston, listing him as a possible "impact" signing.

"Though Hernández has said he’d like to return to L.A., he’s also expressed a fondness for hitting at Fenway Park, where he’s hit 14 homers, the most at any road park in his career. He recentlyreiterated that notion to WEEI.com: 'Everything about that field is good,” Hernandez said of Fenway... 'The atmosphere over there is really good. The fans love the team. They go to the ballpark. And they support the team,'" McCaffrey said.

"One caveat is his 28.8 percent strikeout rate. Another is that he’s an outfielder, so to add him to the outfield mix, the Red Sox would likely have to subtract one of their current outfielders, perhaps in a trade for pitching."

Hernández, 32, set a career-high in home runs with 33 this season, to go with an All-Star appearance, a World Series ring, and a very solid .840 OPS. McCaffrey cited contract projections that Hernández would get between $60-$69 million on a three-year deal this winter, a hefty chunk of change that many teams will still be mroe than willing to pay.

The Red Sox will have to be the aggressor if they want to land Hernández, especially because of his love for his current team. It's not going to be easy, but signing the slugger is possible if Boston wants it badly enough.

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