Reds' pursuit of Teoscar Hernández only ends favorably if Cincy does the unthinkable

Stop me if you've heard this one before; the Cincinnati Reds are interested in a free agent. That's not any sort of revelation, and in fact, one could argue that Reds fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the number of reports linking them to certain players only to be disappointed when they sign elsewhere. But if you've been a Reds fan for any length of time, you understand that this is par for the course.

That's why it'll be difficult for the Cincinnati faithful to get excited about the latest report from MLB insider Héctor Gómez linking the Reds to free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández. The slugger was a key member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series run this past season, but has yet to be signed to a new deal this offseason.

The Reds are a logical fit, and according to Gómez, are one of six teams interested in signing Hernández. But there's a big problem, and you might even call it a big-market problem. The other five teams are the Dodgers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jays. One of these things is not like the others, and it's the Reds' lack of payroll compared to the other five clubs mentioned in the report.

Reds' pursuit of Teoscar Hernández only ends favorably if Cincy does the unthinkable

In addition to naming the six teams who have shown interest in signing Hernández, the report also stated that the two-time All-Star is also seeking a three-year deal. If the Reds really want to seal the deal and outbid the big-market teams, adding an extra year to the deal might do the trick.

Would the Reds extend a four-year, $100 million deal to Hernández? If so, that would be a hard one to pass up. Hernández just turned 32 and is coming off his best season since the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. Hernández earned the third Silver Slugger Award of his career while posting a .272/.339/.501 slash line with 33 home runs and 99 RBI. This was the sixth consecutive 162-game season in which Hernández has mashed 20 or more homers. Hernández is the definition of that right-handed hitting power-bat that Reds Country has been craving.

But it's a bit of a stretch to call Hernández an outfielder. Though he can play both corner outfield spots, his defensive numbers are not good. Last season, Hernández was among with the worst fielders in the league with -9 outs above average. But you're not signing Hernández for his glove.

This is a deal the Reds could make, but it would require the front office and ownership to do something they haven't done since the 2019-20 offseason — spend big-time money on free agents. And to be fair, one of the contracts tied to that high-dollar spending was arguably the worst deal in franchise history. Mike Moustakas signed a four-year, $64 million deal that Reds fans are still upset about.

But that's the cost of doing business, and if Cincinnati wants to match what the Chicago Cubs are doing this offseason, it's going to require Bob Castellini to open his wallet. That could prove to be more difficult than throwing out Elly De La Cruz on a weak ground ball to third base.

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