Teoscar Hernández Reveals How Close He Came To Signing With Red Sox

Teoscar Hernández loves playing at Fenway Park.

So, naturally, the All-Star outfielder strongly considered signing with the Boston Red Sox in free agency this MLB offseason.

The sides couldn’t agree to a deal, though, and Hernández instead landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year, $23.5 million contract that includes a $15 million payout in 2024 and the rest in deferred installments from 2030 to 2039.

Hernández recently revealed on the “Flippin’ Bats Podcast” with Ben Verlander just how close he came to calling Boston home.

“At the end, it was Boston and the Dodgers,” Hernández said. “We were trying to get more years in Boston. The only years that they offered was two. And everybody knows that because it became public. But like I said, the best opportunity and the best chance I had to get a good deal was the Dodgers, even with the one year.”

“I was really excited because they were showing a lot of interest in me,” he added of the Red Sox’s pursuit. “But at the end of the day, I was just trying to make the best decision that I can for my career and my family.”

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It ultimately might be a missed opportunity for the Red Sox, who could use some additional right-handed pop after losing Justin Turner and potentially Adam Duval on the open market. Hernández totaled at least 22 home runs in each of the last five full MLB seasons, including a career-high 32 in his All-Star season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021.

Hernández, a two-time Silver Slugger winner, regressed with the Seattle Mariners in 2023, with strikeouts being a major problem. But he hits the ball with authority and has a track record of success in the American League East.

“I don’t know. I love the way the fans are,” Hernández said of why Fenway Park is his favorite ballpark to play in. “Even when people don’t think about the stadium, it’s because it’s really old. For me, it’s one of the best ones. I don’t know why it is. I don’t know what it is. But it just feels good to play in there.”

Hernández is entering his age-31 season in Los Angeles, where he’ll have a chance to contend for a World Series title. But maybe someday, given the short-term nature of his Dodgers deal, he’ll wear a Red Sox uniform and take aim at the Green Monster on a consistent basis.