The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to be active in free agency. They are one of the teams in the mix to land Juan Soto, but they should have backup plans if he signs elsewhere.
While listing players the Blue Jays could pivot to if Soto signs elsewhere, FanSided’s Christopher Kline urged the team to target Los Angeles Dodgers star Teoscar Hernández.
“Teoscar Hernandez spent over five years in a Blue Jays uniform. He developed a close relationship with Toronto All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who could’ve been seen wearing a Hernandez jersey during his 2024 HR Derby appearance,” wrote Kline. “That relationship could lead Hernandez back home, to a Blue Jays team that could desperately use Hernandez’s pop in the middle of its lineup.”
Hernández had quite a season playing on a one-year deal with the Dodgers. The former Blue Jays could find himself back in Toronto after a 33-homer season. Spotrac projects him to sign a three-year, $71 million deal. Landing him on a long-term deal could also benefit the Blue Jays when they enter extension talks with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“This just makes too much sense. We know Hernandez has love for Toronto, and we know the Blue Jays’ best player would love a reunion. This gives the Blue Jays an extra boost in Guerrero extension negotiations, and it also puts Hernandez back in a ballpark (and a division) he’s extremely comfortable against,” wrote Kline. “Toronto has a hole in the outfield, which Hernandez can plug, while he immediately becomes the obvious clean-up bat behind Guerrero and Bo Bichette.”
More MLB: Dodgers could potentially reunite with 2-time All-Star in free agency
