The New York Yankees, like many other big-market Major League Baseball teams, appear to be on hold. The Yankees are in the running to sign superstar slugger Juan Soto, and as ESPN’s Jeff Passan points out, many of the other major offseason dominoes will not fall until Soto agrees to a new contract.
However, once those discussions are over, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicts that another impactful slugger, Teoscar Hernández, will sign a five-year, $100 million contract with the Yankees. “The five-year, $100 million deal that Nick Castellanos signed when he joined the (Philadelphia) Phillies looks like a reasonable comparison, and while a reunion with the (Los Angeles) Dodgers remains a distinct possibility, his market could open up once the Juan Soto sweepstakes reaches its conclusion,” Reuter said.
Taking Hernández away from the Dodgers may be a significant victory for the Yankees. In 2024, the outfielder hit.272/.339/.501 in Los Angeles, earning his third career Silver Slugger Award, second All-Star game, third season of Most Valuable Player Award votes, and a World Series triumph.
That performance while on a one-year deal with the Dodgers has likely increased the value of a new contract for Hernández, and the Dodgers may decide to let him go in free agency, with talents like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani poised to lead the batting order. “After a good-not-great 2023 season with the (Seattle) Mariners, Teoscar Hernández settled for a one-year, $23.5 million deal from the Dodgers last offseason,” a Reuters report said.
“He responded with a career-high 33 home runs while helping secure a World Series title, and now he stands as one of the top bats on the market.” However, a fit with the Yankees may only make sense if they lose the auction for Soto and need an outfield replacement. Reuter also predicted that the Red Sox will eventually steal Soto with a $675 million deal.
Leave a Reply