The biggest names in MLB free agency this offseason are off the board, with both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto opting to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a combined fee of over $1 billion. Now, teams across the league will turn their attention towards some of the other top players available, and it looks like one guy who's market is developing quickly is Teoscar Hernandez.

After getting traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Seattle Mariners last offseason, Hernandez turned in another strong campaign (.258 BA, 26 HR, 93 RBI, .741 OPS) setting himself up for a nice payday in free agency. Hernandez has turned himself into quite a force at the plate, and it sounds like the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox are among the frontrunners for his services right now.

“As active as the Angels are in the trade market, it behooves them to check in on most of the top remaining free agents, and they are doing that, from left-hander Blake Snell to outfielder Teoscar Hernández…The Red Sox are another club showing interest in Teoscar Hernández, who has averaged 26 homers in his last five full seasons and boasts a career OPS+ 18 percent above league average.” – Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic

Teoscar Hernandez set to cash in in free agency

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Teoscar Hernandez, Justin Hollander, Cal Raleigh, Mariners, Blue Jays

Hernandez has really broken out over the past few seasons, winning a pair of Silver Slugger awards in 2020 and 2021, as well as his first and only All-Star selection in 2021. Hernandez is a slugging outfielder who can hold his own in the field, and it shouldn't be a massive surprise that both the Angels and Red Sox are looking at him right now.

The Angels need some more pop in their lineup after losing Ohtani in free agency, while the Red Sox could look to employ Hernandez as their designated hitter with Justin Turner likely set to leave in free agency. There are surely other teams that will be turning their attention to Hernandez, but it's looking like these two teams could end up battling it out for the veteran slugger.