If the Red Sox are going to add the kind of right-handed pop they still need, Teoscar Hernandez is the name worth circling.
Boston already looks loaded on paper heading toward the 2027 season, with the rotation, bullpen and lineup all stacking up well in the American League. The one obvious hole is at designated hitter, and that’s where Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe floated a familiar fit during the MLB general manager meetings: Hernandez of the Dodgers.
“Breslow could use the face-to-face time with rival teams this week to put together a trade,” Abraham wrote. “With the Dodgers trying to get younger, trading for Teoscar Hernandez to DH could fit.
Hernandez is 34 and signed for $22.2 million for next season with $8 million deferred. He has a team option for 2028.
At this stage of his career, Hernandez profiles more as a DH than a corner outfielder. But that option in Los Angeles is blocked by Shohei Ohtani.”
That’s the kind of setup that should get Boston’s attention. Hernandez was already on the Red Sox radar before the 2024 season, when the club tried to sign him and came up short against Los Angeles. Hernandez later said on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast that Boston offered him a two-year, $28 million deal before he chose the Dodgers.
Hernandez is still producing, too. In 2026, he hit .267 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs in 125 games.
The year before, he put up 25 homers and 89 RBIs in 134 games. He’s under contract for 2027 and also carries that 2028 club option, so there’s more than a one-year rental angle here.
The fit with the Dodgers is murky, though, and that’s what makes the situation interesting. Their DH spot is already spoken for, and the outfield is crowded. If Los Angeles really is looking to get younger, Hernandez could become available in a way that gives Boston a real opening.
There’s also a clear Fenway angle. Hernandez’s bat would play in that park, and the Red Sox need the kind of right-handed power he brings. Add in the fact that he’s an 11-year veteran and a two-time World Series champion, and the case gets stronger.
Boston has already shown interest once. With the free-agent market looking thin, the trade route may be the smarter lane. And if the Dodgers are willing to listen, the Red Sox have every reason to make that call.
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That leaves the club in a familiar spot, balancing ambition against practicality. Skubal would be the splashiest name in the mix, but reports indicate the Red Sox are unlikely to dive into the kind of contract it would take to land him, which means the real work may come in identifying a middle-to-back-end starter who can fit the roster without blocking the bigger offensive upgrades the team wants to make. [Read more 🡒]