Teoscar Hernandez Rumors: Another Team Joins Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees in Sweepstakes for Outfielder

Juan Soto is officially off the board after signing a record-setting contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night. Now, all the attention shifts to the rest of the outfield market, with Los Angeles Dodgers free agent Teoscar Hernández at the top.

The Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees were known to be in the mix, as Dodgers Nation reported on Sunday. Now, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, the Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as another team interested in the left fielder.

Hernández has made it clear all along that he wants to remain in Los Angeles — but for some reason, the Dodgers are not yet ready to finalize it. According to an earlier report from Dodgers Nation’s Noah Camras and Doug McKain, the Dodgers are “close” to a new contract with Hernández but the hold-up is on the Dodgers’ end — not from Hernández’s camp.

After posting a .283/.333/.519 line with the Blue Jays from 2020 to 2022, Hernández was traded to the Seattle Mariners before the 2023 season. He went on to hit .258/.305/.435. Seattle allowed him to test free agency without extending a qualifying offer, and Hernández remained unsigned until January. He did receive a two-year, $28 million offer from the Boston Red Sox but opted to take a one-year, $23.5 million deal with the Dodgers, which included deferrals, choosing to bet on himself.

Hernández enjoyed a breakout season in his first year with the Dodgers after taking a one-year contract last offseason to boost his value and improve his chances of securing a multiyear deal in free agency.

The gamble on himself paid off.

Hernández had a career-best year, posting a .272/.339/.501 slash line with 33 home runs and 99 runs batted in. He earned a spot in his second All-Star Game, won the Home Run Derby, and played a key role in the Dodgers’ World Series run.

Now one of the top outfielders available, Hernández is primed to land the long-term contract he’s seeking. While the Dodgers remain the frontrunners, their delay in securing him could open the door for other suitors with money to spend now that Soto is no longer an option.

Read more: What I’m Hearing on Teoscar Hernandez’s Free Agency: Dodgers Favorites But Have Competition

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

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