Toronto Blue Jays MLB free agent rumors link team to top free agent, impacting Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s future
As much as the Toronto Blue Jays would love to steal Juan Soto away from their AL East rivals, they’re not viewed as frontrunners. To be fair, no one is a Soto frontrunner right now, but if we’re ranking the likeliest destinations, Toronto would fall behind Los Angeles and both New York teams.
Yet, just because the Blue Jays are patiently waiting to hear more on Soto’s free agency decision, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other players who could pique Toronto’s interest.
Related: MLB insider reveals new timeline for Juan Soto signing, update on New York Yankees’ odds
Toronto Blue Jays named one of the most ‘logical fits’ for Teoscar Hernandez
One of the best hitters not named Juan Soto on the free agency market is former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. The Blue Jays traded him to Seattle two years ago, and they’ve missed his presence in the lineup ever since.
The 32-year-old is coming off one of his best seasons yet, a 33 home run, 99 RBI campaign that helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series. But now Hernandez re-enters free agency after playing on a one-year contract worth $23.5 million and is looking to cash in.
The Athletic’s MLB insider Ken Rosenthal’s “best guess” is that Hernandez will re-up with the Dodgers on a three-year contract worth north of $60 million in overall value. But that doesn’t mean other teams, like the Blue Jays, are out of the running.
“If Hernández somehow does not land back with the Dodgers, the Blue Jays might be his most logical destination. The Jays never should have traded Hernández to the Seattle Mariners two years ago for reliever Erik Swanson and pitching prospect Adam Macko. Re-signing him could be a major step toward the Jays retaining Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with whom Hernández is very close. Signing Soto, on the other hand, almost certainly would ensure Guerrero’s departure after next season, unless the Jays are willing to carry two monster contracts.”
Retaining the face of the franchise remains a top priority for the Blue Jays. Perhaps reuniting Hernandez with Vladimir Guerrero Jr is what needs to be done to ensure Toronto doesn’t have to worry about losing their superstar.
