The Detroit Tigers captured the imaginations of underdog fans everywhere with their stunning run to — and in — the 2024 American League playoffs.
Before falling to the Cleveland Guardians in the Division Series, the Tigers shocked the defending AL champion Houston Astros in the Wild Card round.
Detroit has long been rumored to be in pursuit of Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. However, Brandon Wile sees the team taking a different path in signing outfielder Teoscar Hernandez away from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hernandez leaped up the wish list of several Major League Baseball teams after a sterling 2024 with the World Series champion.
Now a free agent after playing last season on a one-year, $23.5 million contract, the nine-year Major League Baseball veteran is a hot commodity on the open market. Hernandez hit .272 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI with Los Angeles, further bolstering his already splendid career numbers.
The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner smacked three home runs for the Dodgers in 16 postseason games this past October, logging 12 RBI and scoring eight runs in helping Los Angeles to its first full-season world title since 1988.
Spotrac calculates Hernandez’s market value to bring him a three-year contract over $71 million, but a bidding war for his services could push the numbers even higher to acquire the 32-year-old.
Hernandez is far from a flash in the pan. He patrolled the outfield over six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting 129 home runs with 369 RBI and a .263 batting average for “Canada’s Team.”
After the 2022 season, he was dealt to the Seattle Mariners with one year remaining on his contract. After putting up a solid season in the Emerald City, he signed a one-year, $23.5 million contract with the Dodgers last January.
The youthful Tigers are in dire need of solid bats and veteran leadership. The team remains fairly flush with cash as it tries to lock up staff ace and American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. In today’s market, signing Hernandez to anchor the outfield could prove to be a very prudent bit of business.
