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If the New York Yankees lose Juan Soto, they’ll have a few different ways to fill their lineup. While replacing Soto would be an impossible challenge, this is a talented free agent class filled with outfield bats. It’s also important to note Soto’s potential $600 million deal. Despite being worth that money, it’s a massive price the Yankees would have to pay.
If they were to lose him for any reason, the Yankees have some work to do. They could target four or five players to replace the left-handed slugger and take a full-team approach rather than just signing him. Perhaps it’ll work out, perhaps it won’t, but one thing is for sure: fans wouldn’t be too happy with losing the future Hall of Famer.
Just Baseball’s Peter Appel looked at moves they could make to replace Soto, including Teoscar Hernandez as a player they could land. Appel predicted his deal would be $63 million over three years, a much lower price than what Soto is expected to get.
“Teoscar is a slightly cheaper, but older version of Santander. Teoscar hits for plenty of power but plays below-average defense in a corner outfield spot. If the Yankees did sign Teoscar, he would play right field, move Judge to center, and Dominguez would play left if that’s the only move they make to address the outfield.
“Teoscar is coming off a great year for the Dodgers, posting a 3.5 fWAR and a 134 wRC+. He hit 33 home runs, stole 12 bases, and slashed .272/.339/.501. In the playoffs, he put up a 119 wRC+ and was a huge piece of the Dodgers 2024 World Series run,” Appel wrote on November 26.
Hernandez Wants to Return to Dodgers
Hernandez is coming off an impressive campaign for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but if they don’t have money left over to sign him, he could be on his way out. It’s an interesting thought, as he was one of the main reasons for them winning the World Series, but it can’t be counted out.
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, he wants to return to the Dodgers. While that’s a sign they’d be willing to figure out a deal for him, he didn’t say he wouldn’t play for the New York Yankees or a different club.
“Besides the Los Angeles Dodgers, four other teams have expressed some level of interest during preliminary conversations with free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández, league sources said. However, Hernández’s preference remains the Dodgers,” Sammon wrote on November 9.
The Yankees understand that players want to stay in certain cities. However, that isn’t how things always work out.
Why Hernandez Would Be An Excellent Fit
The outfielder is one of the better hitters in Major League Baseball and has done nothing but swing the bat at a high level for much of his career. The New York Yankees would need as many good hitters as they could find if Soto were to depart, and Hernandez is arguably the second-best hitter available.
His defense isn’t great, but when a hitter swings the bat the way he does, it’s often easy to ignore the defensive flaws.
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