Red Sox Reportedly ‘Discussed Potential Contract’ With Outfielder as Deal Completed
Teoscar Hernández might be on the verge of returning to the American League East.
Last week, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported the Red Sox are among the teams interested in Hernández, who is coming off a solid season with the Seattle Mariners. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier took the report to the next level last Sunday when he claimed Boston “had been discussing potential contract parameters” with the free-agent outfielder. The Red Sox reportedly hadn’t offered Hernández a contract as of last Saturday, but Speier reports the club’s engagement with the 2021 All-Star “picked up” after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ blockbuster signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Boston’s reported interest in Hernández makes sense. The bulk of the Red Sox’s expected outfield stalwarts — Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu — are left-handed hitters. The recent trade for Tyler O’Neill helped balance things out, but the Red Sox still could benefit from adding a right-handed power hitter.
Hernández launched 25-plus home runs in each of the last three seasons and knocked in a combined 286 runs between the 2021 and 2023 campaigns. The 31-year-old could fill the role Boston likely envisioned for Adam Duvall last season. The Red Sox also wouldn’t have to worry about Hernández playing in such a competitive division, as he spent five-plus seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays before he was traded to Seattle.
In a column published last month, The Athletic projected Hernández to land a four-year, $80 million deal on the open market.
The Boston Red Sox entered the offseason seemingly motivated and appeared to be on the precipice of reminding Major League Baseball that they are one of the biggest markets in the sport.
Thus far, it’s been more of the same for the inactive Red Sox — though there are plenty of impact players remaining.
While fans have reason to be upset over losing out on superstars such as Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the latest player Boston fell out of the bidding for is not worth getting upset over.
“Free-agent catcher Martín Maldonado and the Chicago White Sox are close to an agreement, according to sources familiar with the situation,” FanSided’s Robert Murray reported Tuesday.
The Red Sox met with Maldonado’s representation at the uneventful Winter Meetings earlier this month and were among a plethora of potential suitors for his services.
Since then, however, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow appeared to pivot, and rightfully so.
Between then and now Breslow inked a fellow Gold Glove-winner catcher to a minor-league deal, Roberto Pérez.
Boston needed additional catching depth behind Connor Wong and Reese McGuire, and Pérez fits the mold due to his willingness to start the season off of the 40-man roster.
Maldonado on the other hand, would have cost the Red Sox a third 40-man spot for the position.
