For the Blue Jays, the search for offense may wind up circling back to a familiar name.
Toronto’s front office, led by GM Ross Atkins, is expected to spend the offseason trying to fix an attack that finished last in home runs, runs scored, and RBIs. One possible path, according to Los Angeles Dodgers reporter Pat Ragazzo, is a reunion with Teoscar Hernández. Ragazzo reported that Toronto has had interest in bringing him back since it missed out on Kyle Tucker last offseason.
That kind of fit is easy to see. Hernández gives a lineup something the Blue Jays badly lacked: real right-handed thump. From 2021 through 2025, he hit between 29 and 35 home runs every year, and Toronto knows exactly what he can bring when he’s locked in.
The club already has a long history with the 34-year-old outfielder. Hernández spent six seasons in Toronto, and his best year came in 2021, when he slugged 32 homers, drove in 116 runs, and posted a .296/.346/.524 line. Even if he’s no longer at that peak, he would still give the Blue Jays a meaningful boost in the middle of the order and add protection around the bats in front of and behind him.
There’s also reason to think the Dodgers might listen. Hernández is in the final year of a three-year, $66 million deal, though it includes a $15 million club option for 2028 and a $6.5 million buyout. Los Angeles may not be known for penny-pinching, but the fit has grown shakier.
Hernández’s 2025 season didn’t exactly strengthen his case. Hamstring issues limited him to 125 games, and he finished with 16 home runs, his lowest total since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, along with 64 RBIs. For a Dodgers roster built to win now, that output is not enough, especially for a player whose defense has been a concern and who mostly filled a DH role.
His spot on the roster also complicates things for the future. Hernández’s presence is seen as a roadblock for No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula, who made his MLB debut in September, played 11 games, and even saw postseason action.
The Blue Jays would still need to figure out what kind of trade package it would take to get a deal done. But on pure offensive profile, Hernández checks a lot of boxes. He offers a similar kind of production to free-agent names like Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena without the kind of long-term commitment those players are likely to command.
Toronto would not be stepping into this lightly. The Anthony Santander signing has already shown how risky it can be to bet on an aging slugger.
Still, the Blue Jays are going to have to take on some risk somewhere if they want to turn this offense around before April. In that light, bringing back a familiar bat with proven power carries real appeal.
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Blue Jays Still Have Two Huge Roster Questions Before 2027
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Among the names that fit the profile are a needed left-handed arm for the rotation and an impact outfield bat, the kind of additions that can change the direction of a winter if Toronto decides to spend. But all of that hangs over a bigger unknown, since the next collective bargaining agreement could reshape the market before the Jays ever get to make those calls, and a possible lockout only adds more uncertainty to an already fluid 2027 picture. [Read more 🡒]