Red Sox Lose Out On $66 Million Slugger's Bidding War To Deep-Pocketed Dodgers

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

Maybe the Boston Red Sox wanted Teoscar Hernández, but not nearly as badly as he wanted to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 32-year-old slugger had a fantastic debut season with the Dodgers, which culminated in several individual awards and a World Series championship. Though he might have been interested in the idea of coming to Boston, Hernández quickly made it clear that there was only one team he truly wanted to play for.

In the weeks following the Juan Soto signing, Hernández wasn't immediately generating a lot of buzz, and the Dodgers grabbed Michael Conforto, another corner outfielder, on a one-year contract. That fueled speculation that Hernández's return wasn't the done deal many initially assumed.

As it turns out, you can only delay the inevitable for so long.

On Friday, Hernández and the Dodgers reunited on a three-year, $66 million contract, with a fourth-year player option for $15 million. Hernández is due to receive a $23 million signing bonus, with just over $23 million in deferrals.

Dominican reporter Yancen Pujols was the first to report the signing, with Jeff Passan of ESPN confirming the details of the agreement. 

There were never any reports that the Red Sox were prioritizing Hernández, nor that they had made him a firm offer in the vicinity of what he ended up signing for. His powerful pull-oriented swing would have been a great fit at Fenway Park, but the Red Sox didn't seem to make a strong play to land him.

Now, the pressure on the Red Sox to land one of the only other premier right-handed bats on the market, third baseman Alex Bregman, will quickly ratchet up. Bregman is two years younger, but is expected to command a longer deal, and plays a position that would necessitate roster tweaks in Boston.

The Red Sox need right-handed sluggers. A big one just came off the board. We'll see if that prompts Boston to act with a little more urgency moving forward.

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