3 teams who could swipe Teoscar Hernandez from the Mariners in free agency

I remember last offseason when news broke that the Mariners were going to be getting Teoscar Hernandez in a trade with the Blue Jays, instantly improving their offense for the upcoming season. It sort of stunk that we were getting rid of Erik Swanson, but the Mariners were getting a power-hitting OF who had a lot of good years under his belt.

Fast forward to this offseason. The Mariners didn't get the year they wanted from Teoscar Hernandez, seeing his lowest production since 2019. They declined to present a Qualifying Offer to him, meaning that he was free to sign with whoever he wanted without anyone having to give anything to the Mariners. There is always a chance that he could come back to the Mariners, but I just don't see it happening. They could have given him the QO for abut 1YR/$20M, and he is going to fetch around 4YR/$75M or more in FA. I don't see the Mariners doing that.

So, who are the three teams that are most likely to swipe away the Mariners power-hitting outfielder? Let's get to it, and we start with an old friend who is reportefly looking to improve their offense after losing their third baseman to free agency this offseason.

Teoscar Hernandez Culprit #1: Toronto Blue Jays

I keep hearing that there is the possibility of a return to Toronto for Teoscar. They are losing Matt Chapman in free agency this year, so they will be looking to get some pop back in the lineup. I always find it funny when this gets brought up, cause there is a little part of me that wonders if there is a bit of collusion there. I doubt it, but it always crosses my mind. I blame Rodney Ruxin for always thinking of collusion.

Anyway, Teo was great in Toronto the final three years that he was there. .283/.333/.519 with a 133 OPS+ and 36 2B and 36 HR per 162 games. It can be hard to give you totals other than that since 2020 was a shortened season. 16 homers doesn't sound like a ton for a season, but it sure turns into a big number when you apply that 2.7 multiplier and realize it projects out to 43 homers.

With Chapman leaving, could they offer Teo something similar to what Nick Castellanos got from the Phillies, in that $20M AAV range? I could see it, but I see it being 3-4 years instead of 5.

Teoscar Hernandez Culprit #3: New York Mets

Look, I just don't know what to expect with the Mets anymore. They spent a ton of money last year, and everyone thought that they were going to run away with the NL. Instead, literally nothing worked like it was supposed to for them, and they turned an approximately $350M payroll into just a 75-87 record.

That's gross no matter how you look at it. However, when you have an owner who literally doesn't care how much money he spends because he wants to win at just about whatever cost possible, it's not the same thing. Shoot, the other owners tried to create a seperate luxury tax level just for Cohen (their owner) and he blew past it like was was Kenny Lofton racing Bartolo Colon.

The Mets seem to be looking to add to the offense again, and getting a power bat like Teo is a good way to do it, especially if he is surrounded by a lot of other good bats, as he was in Toronto. Personally, I would like to see him go to the National League, because there is a part of me that wonders if Teo has a bit of that Nelson Cruz in Seattle stretch left at the back of his career. Not multiple 40 homer seasons, but a handful of .280+ BA with 25-35 homers.

Teoscar Hernandez likely isn't going back to the Mariners in 2024, so these could be some of the places that he plays instead.