Blue Jays' rumored Teoscar Hernandez reunion is a smart idea with some obvious flaws

It's been a while since Teoscar Hernandez called Toronto home. He last played for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, getting traded to the Seattle Mariners in his final year of team control. The return from that deal (Erik Swanson and Adam Macko) hasn't panned out, though Hernandez has since gone on to win a pair of championships with the Los Angeles Dodgers, including last year's World Series triumph over his former team.

However, the Dodgers were recently embarrassed by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS and are at something of a fork in the road for their dynasty; they know they need to get younger (and cheaper, seeing as the lockout is about a month away) and will look to offload a few veteran contracts to make that happen.

I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. FanSided's own Pat Ragazzo reported that the Blue Jays tried to acquire Hernandez last offseason after missing out on Kyle Tucker, and revisiting the idea now after both teams fell short of another trip to the Fall Classic would be a worthwhile endeavor.

Blue Jays' outfield depth chart complicates a potential reunion with Teoscar Hernandez

This isn't the first we've heard of the Blue Jays being interested in a reunion with Hernandez. After the Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 with him in tow, the Jays nearly signed the outfielder once he reached free agency. Ultimately, he stayed in Los Angeles while Anthony Santander came to Toronto, a decision that has not worked out in Ross Atkins' favour.

Santander's uncertainty is actually a big reason why a Hernandez move would make a lot of sense this winter. The former Oriole has hardly played since inking his five-year deal, missing the entire 2026 campaign due to a shoulder surgery. He's probably a full-time DH when he comes back, but at this point, it's impossible to count on him for any serious contributions.

If Santander is healthy, it does complicate the fit a little bit. Everyone knows the Blue Jays need outfield help, but Hernandez isn't a quality defender anymore. As such, it might be difficult to justify playing him in one of the corners over Addison Barger or Nathan Lukes, neither of whom can play in center field now that Brett Bateman is established as the everyday starter.

All of that, combined with Hernandez's $22.1 million salary next year, might make a reunion less feasible than it otherwise seems. But the Blue Jays' need for impactful power bats isn't going anywhere; even at 34 years old, the two-time All-Star remains nearly elite in that area (41 homers over the past two seasons).

The interest and the need is already there. With a little bit of roster finagling, the club can find the room to introduce Hernandez back to the Blue Jays' faithful.

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