Adding power from the right side of the plate is a top offseason priority for the Boston Red Sox this offseason. From whiffing on Pete Alonso last winter to trading for Curtis Mead at the deadline only for him to immediately be lost for the rest of the season with a fractured left wrist. Simply put, Craig Breslow's attempts to fix the club's greatest offensive need have fallen woefully short.
Mead will be back in 2027, but more will be needed. The obvious area where a big righty bat is needed now is in the outfield, and the addition of such a slugger should coincide with the departure of Jarren Duran. The maligned outfielder's value has tanked beyond belief, though maybe Boston can still fleece the San Diego Padres, who once offered a king's ransom in exchange for Duran and are reportedly still interested in him.
Jettisoning Duran is secondary, though. The key is who replaces him. Randy Arozarena is getting buzz as the top free-agent target, but the field bidding for him is expected to be all of the big-market East Coast behemoths, making it seem like a stretch that the Red Sox emerge as the top bidder. Much of the same concerns apply to Seiya Suzuki.
Turning to the trade market might be the best play, and the Los Angeles Dodgers could offer up a solution in veteran slugger Teoscar Hernandez.
A Teoscar Hernandez trade might be the Red Sox best use of resources in their search for righty pop
Last winter, Hernandez trade rumors first surfaced, yet the Dodgers stood pat. Those whispers were reignited around the trade deadline, but once again Los Angeles held onto the 34-year-old. Now, though, Hernandez is in the final year of his contract, and the emergence of Dodgers' top prospect Josue De Paula might finally squeeze him out of LA.
When Hernandez signed his three-year, $66 million contract, expectations were that he'd continue where he left off after a 2024 campaign when he hit .272/.339/.501 with 33 homers. Instead, he produced an underwhelming .247/.284/.454 line with 25 homers in 2025, and followed that up by slashing .267/.334/.425 with 16 dingers during an injury-plagued 2026.
Hernandez still produced above-average hard-hit rates, exit velocities, and barrel rates in 2026. If he can get back to pulling the ball in the air more often, as he did during his prime years, he'll be just fine. In Fenway, he could be a dream.
Trade-wise, he shouldn't cost much to acquire. The Dodgers have little leverage in negotiations, so while they won't give him away for nothing, they're also not in a position to demand a haul in return. A mid-level prospect or two that helps them fortify their system should be all it takes.
Best-case scenario, he'd produce what an Arozarena-esque free agent would, but even if he doesn't, he's still likely to be an above-average power hitter on a short-term commitment. The added bonus is that he has a reasonable $15 million club option for 2028, meaning if he performs well, Boston can kick the can down the road for another year and rock with Hernandez before ultimately finding a long-term solution. If he disappoints in 2027, there's an easy out.
Going this route also leaves more money to find a high-end right-handed starting pitcher, whether that be reuniting with Sonny Gray or pursuing other top free-agent options. At the end of the day, the mix of Hernandez and a free-agent starter is the best use of resources for the Red Sox to solve their greatest needs.
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