5 free agents the Philadelphia Phillies can sign to win 2024 World Series
By Luke Norris
3. Teoscar Hernandez, OF
At this point, there's a strong chance that the Phillies opt not to bring back Rhys Hoskins, who missed the entire 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL in spring training. While he's a fan favorite and a solid hitter, that's just the reality of the situation.
If Hoskins re-signs, of course, he'll be back at first, and Bryce Harper returns to the outfield. But if Hoskins goes elsewhere, Harper becomes the full-time first baseman, and the Phillies go shopping for an outfielder, which they'd likely do anyway.
One option on that front is Teoscar Hernandez, whom Philadelphia was seemingly targeting at the trade deadline this past summer.
A one-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Hernandez had a bit of a down year in 2023 with the Seattle Mariners, slashing .258/.305/.435 with a career-worst 211 strikeouts. But he also had 26 home runs and 93 runs batted in.
The Phillies obviously have no problem employing power hitters who strike out a lot (see Kyle Schwarber), so adding Hernandez seemingly wouldn't be much of a stretch. He'll command a bit of cash but not as much as some of the other outfielders on the market.