Red Sox Reportedly Showing Interest In All-Star Slugger To Bolster Lineup

Boston could use the offensive firepower

Scott Neville | Dec 23, 2023

Red Sox Reportedly Showing Interest In All-Star Slugger To Bolster Lineup /

In this story:

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are in desperate need of a boost after missing out on some marquee names to begin the offseason.

As it stands now, the Red Sox are squarely in last place among the American League East rosters. While starting pitching remains the clear priority, it's the time of year where any and all upgrades are welcome.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow appears to agree with that sentiment.

"The Red Sox are another club showing interest in Teoscar Hernández, who has averaged 26 homers in his last five full seasons and boasts a career OPS+ 18 percent above league average," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote Friday.

Rosenthal also revealed that the Los Angeles Angels could get into the mix for the 31-year-old slugger.

Hernández hit .258 with 57 extra-base hits including 26 home runs, 93 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 160 games for the Seattle Mariners in what was his worst offensive season since his rookie year.

The two-time American League Silver Slugger Award winner would likely thrive at Fenway Park but do so with a hefty amount of strikeouts -- he has a 29.7% career strikeout rate.

Boston could use an impact right-handed bat, especially one that can at least be a competient outfielder. However, a reunion with Justin Turner would be a shorter-term investment for a player who was a fantastic fit both in the lineup and the clubhouse last season.

Most notably, Turner's career 15.3% strikeout rate would be a huge advantage for a lineup that features some free swingers.

Pairing Hernández with Connor Wong, Trevor Story, Jarren Duran and a few other high strikeout rate players could lead to a lot of empty at-bats.

Still, the Red Sox need help. If Breslow wants to invest in Hernández for three or four seasons alongside a pair of notable starting pitchers, by all means, go for it.

Boston has the money despite their best efforts not to spend it.

More MLB: Astros Ace Reportedly On Trade Block; Red Sox Listed As Top Landing Spot

Published Dec 23, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu