After trading for Cody Bellinger on December 17, the New York Yankees have a few ways they could go. While Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Bellinger was told he’ll play center field for the Yankees, there’s a scenario where their idea could change.
The Yankees could still use another bat after losing Juan Soto, and Teoscar Hernandez would be the natural fit. He isn’t the same type of hitter Soto is, but the Yankees should’ve known that they wouldn’t find a perfect replacement for him when they lost Soto.
Landing Hernandez would almost certainly slide Bellinger over to first base. The Yankees would take a hit defensively, but it’s intriguing to think about what their offense could look like with Hernandez in it.
He shouldn’t be too expensive either, with David Schoenfield of ESPN predicting the World Series champion to sign a three-year, $66 million deal.
“Here we have two players who are very similar in style and value: corner outfielders with power bats and below-average defense, both coming off their best seasons (44 home runs, 2.9 WAR for Santander; 33 home runs, 4.3 WAR for Hernandez). Santander is two years younger, a switch-hitter and strikes out less while Hernandez is more athletic and gets on base a little more. Thus, the similar contract projections…
“At the start of the offseason, there seemed to be an assumption Hernandez would return to the Dodgers after he made such a huge impact both on the field and in the clubhouse, but the two sides are reportedly far apart — and the Dodgers signed Michael Conforto, another corner outfielder with subpar defensive metrics. Knowing how much the Dodgers care about defense, it seems unlikely that they’ll go with both Hernandez and Conforto in the corners,” Schoenfield wrote on December 17.
Hernandez Seeking Just $22-24 Million AAV
The New York Yankees will have an expensive roster again after losing Soto, but there’s still more money to spend if they feel it could help the roster.
With a World Series-caliber roster as currently constructed, why not continue to build the best possible team and sign someone like Santander?
Regarding his contract, Schoenfield was in the right ballpark. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Santander is looking for a $22-24 million AAV contract.
“The Dodgers and Hernández seemed headed for a reunion, but the two sides haven’t been able to reach a deal thus far. That opened the door for other teams – namely the Red Sox and Blue Jays – to jump in on the outfielder, who is seeking a three-year deal in the $22-24 million a year range, per sources,” Feinsand wrote on December 16.
Would the Yankees Sign Hernandez to Put Bellinger at First?
If the New York Yankees view Bellinger as their guy in center field and nothing will change that, signing Hernandez wouldn’t make much sense unless they don’t plan on giving Jasson Dominguez a chance to prove he belongs.
Bellinger playing first would diminish his value some. He can go and get it in center field, and the Yankees need that with their below-average defense.
However, the Yankees have been built on power for much of the past decade, and signing another player like Hernandez, who could leave the yard at any moment, could intrigue them if the price is right.
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