The Boston Red Sox have been quiet in MLB free agency and after trading outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees, there are growing frustrations among fans over the quality of the roster. However, it appears Boston has its eyes on at least one All-Star on the open market.
Boston was involved in the bidding war for starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto but didn’t come close to matching the deal he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Soto, Ohtani and Shohei Ohtani off the market, the elite talents available for teams this winter are now gone.
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However, there are still a few swirling MLB free agency rumors tying Boston to several impact players. The team is believed to be interested in Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner who could fortify the rotation. He’s not the only All-Star on the club’s radar, though.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic the Red Sox are one of the clubs showing interest in All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who is also being pursued by the Los Angeles Angels and several others.
- Teoscar Hernandez stats 2023: .258/.305/.435, 26 home runs, 93 RBI, 105 wRC+, 1.8 fWAR
“The Red Sox’s biggest need is a top-of-the-rotation starter, but Hernández would appear a logical fit. The outfielders on the team’s 40-man roster are Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder and Masataka Yoshida.”
Ken Rosenthal on the Boston Red Sox interest in Teoscar Hernandez
Hernandez, age 31, was an All-Star selection in 2021 and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner with the Toronto Blue Jays. While the right-handed hitter offers plenty of pop, he is a poor option defensively.
In 2023, pr Baseball Savant, Hernandez finished in the 57th percentile for range (Outs Above Average) and placed in the 67th percentile for fielding run value. He won’t cover much distance in the corner outfield, but he did rank in the 88th percentile for arm value and the 78th percentile for arm strength.
- Teoscar Hernandez career stats: .361/.316/.486, 159 home runs, 472 RBI, 117 wRC+
Regarding his production at the plate last season with the Seattle Mariners, Hernandez was highly inconsistent. He posted a .230/.268/.396 slash line with a 33.8 percent strikeout rate entering June. After slashing .303/.376/.573 in June with a 10.9 percent walk rate, he struggled in August (.200/.248/.286), but finished the season strong with a .294/.339/.354 line with a 130 wRC+ from August-September.