Red Sox Projected To Land $100M All-Star In Response To Yankees' Cody Bellinger Trade

Got to strike while the iron's hot..

Jul 15, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; National League outfielder Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers (37) raises the trophy as he celebrates after he wins the 2024 All Star Game Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox struck back at the New York Yankees once already this offseason. Will they do it again?

Last week, just as the Yankees were celebrating the signing of left-handed pitcher Max Fried, the Red Sox went out and traded for a younger, more explosive lefty in Garrett Crochet. It was Boston's first big move of the winter and it's hard to imagine New York's move didn't spur them on just a bit.

Now, the Yankees have made another splash, trading for Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs. On Tuesday, they acquired Bellinger and $5 million in cash for right-handed pitcher Cody Poteet, helping fill the void left behind in their outfield by the departure of Juan Soto.

While Bellinger wasn't a Red Sox target the way Fried was, there could still be some motivation for the Red Sox to respond in kind. Have they identified the perfect player to chase after?

In the aftermath of the Bellinger trade, Cody Williams of FanSided urged the Red Sox to make a strong play for Teoscar Hernández, who has crushed the ball at Fenway Park in his career and is coming off a personal-best with 33 home runs.

"Adding a player like Hernandez to diversify the lefty-heavy lineup in Boston would be massive for the offense but, in this situation, also in terms of making a statement in the division," Williams said.

"It would send a message to the Yankees that the Red Sox can make splashes too while also telling the Blue Jays — another team that could now be in the mix for Hernandez — to step aside in this hierarchy."

If Hernández can repeat his 2024 season (.840 OPS, 137 OPS+, Silver Slugger), he'll be the perfect shot in the arm for a Red Sox offense craving someone of his exact archetype. In his career at Fenway, Hernández has 14 home runs in 45 games, slugging over .600.

Hernández was recently projected for a five-year, $100 million contract by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report. While that's a steep price, any deterrent to the Dodgers re-signing Hernández probably plays to the Red Sox's advantage, since they're so much farther away from the luxury tax threshold.

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