Teoscar Hernandez contract: Exploring details around outfielder's $23,500,000 deal with the Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to add another All-Star bat to their lineup in Teoscar Hernandez. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, both parties have agreed to sign a one-year, $23.5 million deal.
Passan also added that out of the $23.5 million contract, $8.5 million is deferred and will be paid out from 2030 to 2039. The outfielder opted for a big one-year deal with the Dodgers over other multiyear offers.
Moreover, Teoscar Hernandez will reportedly be entitled to incentives if he clears certain goals. As per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, he will receive $1 million if he wins the Silver Slugger, $500k if he finishes 11th–15th in MVP voting, $2 million if he finishes 6th–10th in MVP voting, and $3 million if he finishes 1st–5th in MVP voting.
The Dodgers are turning to be a superteam, having onboarded two headliners this offseason. Earlier, they signed two-way star Shohei Ohtani to a blockbuster 10-year, $700 million contract. Moreover, they also managed to defer 97% of that contract until the next decade so that they could get their best team on the field in the next few years.
Ohtani's signing may have played a huge role in getting Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The former Orix Buffaloes pitcher signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers, including a $50 million signing bonus. Moreover, they further bolstered their rotation by acquiring Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Teoscar Hernandez's baseball career
Hailing from Sanchez Ramirez, Dominican Republic, Teoscar Hernandez was signed as an international free agent by the Houston Astros in 2011. He was promoted to the major leagues by the Astros on August 12, 2016. He stayed with the Astros until the end of the season, hitting .230 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 41 games.
The Astros traded Hernández and Nori Aoki to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 31, 2017 in exchange for Francisco Liriano. In 2020, he batted .289 with 16 home runs and 34 RBIs in 50 games for the Blue Jays.
His best season came in 2021, where he earned his first All-Star selection and second Silver Slugger award. That year, he hit .296, a career-high 32 home runs, and 116 RBIs.
The Blue Jays traded Hernández to the Seattle Mariners on Nov. 16, 2022, in exchange for Erik Swanson and Adam Macko. In 2023, with the Mariners, he batted .258 with 161 hits, 26 homers, 93 RBIs and 70 runs scored in 160 games.