As currently constructed, the Yankees are in urgent need of outfield help. Only four outfielders are on the 40-man roster, with Aaron Judge, the 2024 AL MVP, being the standout. However, the rest of the outfield situation is uncertain.
Jasson Domínguez and Everson Pereira remain prospects who missed significant time in 2024 due to injuries. Trent Grisham played just 76 games this season and was relegated to the bench throughout the postseason. The Yankees could even non-tender him by Friday if they don’t want to commit roughly $5.7 million to him for 2025. Beyond those three, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Jon Berti provide some depth, but all are primarily infielders. As we saw with Cabrera and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in 2023, using infielders as outfielders is hardly a reliable solution.
The clear solution for the Yankees is to re-sign Juan Soto, the 26-year-old outfielder who’s on track for a Hall of Fame career. This is clearly Plan A for Hal Steinbrenner and the Yankees, but Soto is also a target for several other teams, so it’s prudent to consider backup options.
Could Teoscar Hernández be a key part of that backup plan?
Yankees fans are well-acquainted with Hernández, who earned a reputation as a Yankee killer during his six seasons with Toronto and added to that with a strong World Series performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But it’s not just his past performances against the Yankees that make him an appealing option—it’s his overall play.
After signing a one-year deal last offseason, Hernández had arguably his best season at age 31, posting a .272/.339/.501 slash line and hitting a career-high 33 home runs. Even if his production reverts to his career averages (.263/.320/.488, good for a 121 OPS+), it would still be a significant boost for a Yankees lineup that lacked depth in 2024. Additionally, Hernández has historically crushed left-handed pitching, with an .894 OPS against southpaws—a major strength for a team that struggled against lefties this season.
However, Hernández has two major weaknesses. First, his strikeout rate is high. In 2024, he struck out 28.8% of the time, placing him in the bottom 10% of the league. While this isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker—sometimes a strikeout is less damaging than weak contact—it’s still worth noting.
More concerning is his defense, or lack thereof. In 2024, Hernández was worth a dreadful -3 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and –11 Outs Above Average (OAA) while splitting time between left and right field. While his defensive numbers in right field were slightly better (with 5 DRS), his overall defensive value is troubling, especially as he’ll be entering his age-32 season. Outfielders tend to lose range and defensive ability as they age, so this could become a more significant concern for Hernández.
Ideally, the Yankees will re-sign Soto, making the need for Hernández unnecessary. While it’s possible for them to sign both, the Yankees would likely prefer a one-year deal for an outfielder who can provide insurance for Domínguez. If things don’t go according to plan, however, Hernández wouldn’t be the worst fallback option for the Yankees.
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