The Toronto Blue Jays played bridesmaid once again when it came to this winter’s top free agent, but are they now fumbling away a chance at a reunion with a former fan favorite?
Noah Camras of Dodgers Nation reported that Toronto has been in contact with one of their own — former Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez — but has come up short in their offers to the star player.
Camras wrote: “Hernandez is currently in Florida working out with Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and would welcome a return to Toronto. While the Dodgers maintain their status as the favorite, Hernández would consider joining Toronto if their offer was significantly better — or, say, had a fourth year. Since Hernandez has a qualifying offer attached to him, though, any non-Dodgers team that signs him would lose a draft pick.”
Hernandez played for Toronto from 2017-2022. He leaped up the wish list of several Major League Baseball teams after a sterling 2024 with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now a free agent after playing last season on a one-year, $23.5 million contract, the nine-year MLB veteran is a hot commodity on the open market. Hernandez hit .272 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI with Los Angeles, further bolstering his already splendid career numbers.
The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner smacked three home runs for the Dodgers in 16 postseason games this past October, logging 12 RBI and scoring eight runs in helping Los Angeles to its first full-season world title since 1988.
Spotrac calculates Hernandez’s market value to bring him a three-year contract over $71 million, but with superstars coming off the board at a brisk pace now, a bidding war for his services is certain to push the numbers even higher to acquire the 32-year-old.
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