Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández Turned Down Extension From Red Sox To Play For Dodgers

Current Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández turned down an extension from the Red Sox last winter to take his talents to sunny Los Angeles. Hernández signed with the Dodgers in January for one year, worth $23.7 million.

“Obviously, I was not going to spend my free agency trying to get a bad deal,” the outfielder remarked on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast. “I love the Red Sox. It was one of my favorite teams but at the end of the day, I have to decide what is best for me, my career and my family.”

Hernández noted that the Red Sox were willing to bump the offer up to three years after maneuvering on their end.

The Dominican Republic native began his professional career with the Astros in 2016 before being traded to Toronto at the 2017 trade deadline. Hernández became an All-Star in 2021, hitting .296 while racking up 163 hits, 32 home runs and 116 RBIs. The outfielder started to regress while playing for the Mariners last season as he struck out 211 times, third most in the MLB. Kyle Schwarber finished with 215 strikeouts, the most in the majors in 2023.

Hernández’s decision to put on Dodger blue proved to be a good one as he’s playing alongside Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts – the 2021 All-Star is currently hitting .261 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs, in addition to taking a spot in the outfield as Betts was moved to second base. The Dodgers also brought in Tyler Glasnow to bolster the squad. Hernández became the first Dodgers player to win the Home Run Derby after outlasting Bobby Witt Jr. 14-13 in the final round.

The ex-Red Sox didn’t want to miss the action in LA and wanted to be a part of a talented group of players. “I just want to go to a team that’s looking for everybody who wants to win and not afraid to spend to go after good players so they can make their team better,” Hernández said. “I don’t care about anything else. I want to win.”