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 #2: Los Angeles Angels

This may seem wierd at first, right? The Angels cut a ton of their players towards the end of 2023, letting them walk to waivers without getting anything in return. It wasn't the brightest thing to do, as they couldn't sold hard at the deadline in order to build for the future. It's not the best way to convince Ohtani to stay, but at least you're showing a plan.

Instead, they let those players walk in order to get under the luxury tax and save them some extra money and to avoid those penalties. With a move like that, you would think that they are probably trying to keep costs down, right?

Nope.

They are without the $30M that Ohtani made, so an argument can be made that they have that much money to spend. Maybe going after a guy who has raked in LA makes sense, since Teo has hit .326/.366/.535, hitting four homers and six doubles in 86 AB. They've been known to make rash decisions and change paths quickly in LA... could they look to make a splash by signing Teo and keeping him in the AL West?