Interest Kings: Red Sox doing it again with top free-agent outfielder
There goes that word again. Interest. Boston Red Sox. Expensive free agent.
As is tradition with any recent off-season in Boston, the Red Sox have yet to make a major signing, yet have reportedly shown “interest” everywhere. Hence, the long-earned moniker “Interest Kings.” Well, they’re at it again. Again.
This time, the Red Sox are totally, seriously, extremely interested in free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. Top baseball insider Ken Rosenthal name-dropped the Red Sox as “another club showing interest” in Hernandez. So, it sounds like Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow is not short on competition, either. The Red Sox’ reported interest in Hernandez goes as far back as Dec. 7, when New York-based reporter Moises Fabian said the Red Sox had called on Hernandez.
WATCH: All 26 Teoscar Hernandez Home Runs From 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPIttif-ti8
Hernandez, 31, has posted a 162-game average of 32 home runs and 96 RBIs over the past six seasons, the most recent of which was with the Seattle Mariners. He has a solid .806 career OPS.
Though Hernandez will strike out a ton – he racked up a career-high 211 in the 2023 season – his pop is for real. His ISO, which measures raw power, is .222 since 2018, sixth among all outfielders (minimum 3,000 plate appearances, via Frangraphs). In the same span, he’s ninth among all outfielders in “weighted runs created plus” (wRC+), which attempts to measure a player’s total offensive value through runs scored. In 2023, he ranked in the 90th percentile in “hard-hit percentage,” according to Baseball Savant.
it all sounds intriguing. As a right-handed hitter at Fenway Park, he should be able to pepper the Green Monster and launch some rainbows over it. But he’s also a good opposite-field hitter who should be able to take advantage of all the Fenway quirks.
That’s assuming, of course, that the Red Sox are actually going to sign Hernandez. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported Wednesday that the Red Sox “remain among the most aggressive” in their negotiations. But that could just be another branch of the interest tree.
![ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 6: Teoscar Hernandez #35 of the Seattle Mariners flips his bat after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 6, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2023/12/GettyImages-1581742726-copy.jpg)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 6: Teoscar Hernandez #35 of the Seattle Mariners flips his bat after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 6, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Just like and Red Sox free agency rumor, we’ll believe it when we see it. But the Red Sox do still need to make a legitimate signing, and they do need a power-hitting outfielder. So, Hernandez would make a lot of sense.
Hernandez ranks eighth in our 2023 free agent rankings, and second among all outfielders. Read below for the full list.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content.