Red Sox's Pursuit Of Dodgers $70 Million Superstar Could Be Gathering Steam

Where there's smoke, there's fire?

Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; General view of the logo on the field before game one between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox could be zeroing in on the right-handed slugger they want the most.

All season, the talented Red Sox lineup ran into huge trouble when facing left-handed pitching. Far too many of the potent Boston bats were lefties themselves, and adding at least one big righty bat has long been identified as a primary goal for the Red Sox front office this winter.

Now, the Red Sox seem to be gaining momentum in their early pursuit of one specific righty bat: the Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández.

On Thursday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Red Sox, along with the Baltimore Orioles, were pursuing Hernández early on, as both clubs have similar needs for right-handed hitting. The incumbent Dodgers are certainly expected to be involved as well.

Later on Thursday, Zach Pressnell of Newsweek also connected the Red Sox to Hernández, naming them as one of the best fits for the 2024 All-Star on the open market this winter.

"Boston needs to add right-handed bats to their lineup and free agency is the perfect place to do it. Hernández played in the AL East for years as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, so the Red Sox know his talent very well," Pressnell said.

"Slotting Hernández into a lineup that's already loaded with talent would be a big move for Boston. The 32-year-old has also been quite vocal regarding his love for both Fenway Park and Red Sox Nation."

Hernández turned down a two-year, $28 million contract from the Red Sox last winter, and that number is going to be much higher this time around. Pressnell cited a projection that Hernández expects to command roughly $70 million over a three-year deal after his All-Star campaign.

In addition to having a fantastic 2024 season, Hernández has always crushed the Red Sox. His swing perfectly fits Fenway Park, and he did a lot of damage there during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. His career slash line in 45 games at Fenway is .282/.344/.606 with 14 home runs.

The stars may be aligning for the Red Sox to have a strong opportunity to sway Hernández. But it's still early, and the slugger also loved his time with the Dodgers, even professing his desire to stay there in the aftermath of the World Series. Boston will have to prove it's not messing around here.

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