Dodgers $75 Million All-Star Slugger Named Surprise Top Target For Royals

Could Kansas City pull off a stunner this winter?

May 12, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; A detailed view of Los Angeles Dodgers LA logo in the center field plaza at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals made some splashy signings last winter, but they'll have to keep upping the ante in 2025.

After bringing in standout starting pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, the Royals shocked the Major League Baseball universe, turning a last-place finish into a playoff berth in just one season. In a year where many small-market teams punted on the season amid uncertain television revenue, Kansas City was rewarded for hitting the gas pedal.

The new offseason is off to a promising start. The Royals made good on their commitment to Wacha, inking him to a three-year, $51 million extension. But that's only the start, because there's a whole other side of the coin that the Royals have yet to address in a meaningful fashion.

Last season, the Royals' offense was essentially superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and not much else. In 2025, they must add a big bat to that offense, and there's no better place to turn than to a defending World Series champion coming off an All-Star campaign.

Rachael Millanta of FanSided named Teoscar Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the number-one free-agent hitter for the Royals to target this winter. Millanta also cited a projection that Hernández would get a three-year, $75 million contract, but questioned whether the Royals could afford such a deal.

"Signing Hernández on a one-year contract like he had with the Dodgers isn't out of the question — but the Royals would have to strike early. There are likely to be a number of teams interested in acquiring Hernández for his strong bat, and many will be open to offering a longer, more lucrative deal that Kansas City is able to."

Nothing is ever out of the question in MLB free-agent sweepstakes, but Millanta's idea that Hernández could be receptive to another one-year deal feels far-fetched. Hernández's stock is at an all-time high, and at his age (32), it's unlikely he'll ever have a better chance to sign a long-term deal.

That does not mean, of course, that the Royals can't still get involved. They just inked one three-year deal, after all, so what's to stop them from tacking on a bit more money to do another deal at a position of greater need?

Ultimately, it comes down to the urgency from Royals ownership and the front office to establish themselves as regular World Series contenders. They need more offense to do so, and signing Hernández would demonstrate a commitment to finding that offense.

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