White Sox Free Agent Target: Teoscar Hernandez
The Chicago White Sox have been bargain bin shopping at this point in free agency. If they want to get a big name free agent at this point in free agency, Teoscar Hernandez would be the perfect fit on this 2024 White Sox team.
Hernandez would be the best right fielder the White Sox have had in the last decade or so, and he would be a fantastic bat in the middle of the order, giving Luis Robert Jr. protection.
Hernandez will be 31 for most of the season, but at this point, the White Sox cannot pick higher than 10th overall, so we might as well add as much talent as we can to the team, as tanking is pointless.
Last year Hernandez hit 26 home runs and had 93 RBIs to go along with a .258 average and and a .305 OBP. He provides power that the right field position for the White Sox has not produced in a very long time.
He would have ranked second on the team in home runs behind only Luis Robert and he would have been first on the team in RBIs. He has been a consistent power hitter for most of his career, as he has hit at least 20 homers in every full season in his career.
Spotrac has his market value listed at about 16 million a year, which would put him on track for a similar contract to Andrew Benintendi. The White Sox can easily afford this contract, as 24 million dollars are coming off the payroll next year as Yoan Moncada’s contract will be likely coming off the books.
The White Sox could use a right fielder, as they don’t really have any long term or short term answer in right field on the roster or even in the minors. Oscar Colas might be the only one, but he his likely to start the year in AAA.
If the White Sox can’t add a cornerstone right fielder in a Dylan Cease trade, they should lock up Hernandez on a multi-year deal. He has shown no indication that he is slowing down, so a 3-4 year deal could work out well for both sides.
Considering the bottom 3rd of the order could feature Paul DeJong, Martin Maldonado, and Nicky Lopez, the White Sox could use a big thumper in the middle of the order to help out Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn, and Luis Robert Jr.
Considering the way that Chris Getz has handled this off-season, I’m not sure that they would look into signing Hernandez. But, considering tanking is not a viable option for this season, they should look to add as much talent as they can. Hernandez would fit that bill and he wouldn’t break the bank.