ESPN Reports: Massive celebrations among fans and insiders as the Los Angeles Dodgers re-sign their very own star slugger, Teoscar Hernández, to a record-breaking contract of…..

Should Teoscar Hernández refuse to re-sign with the World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers must have a backup strategy.

Baltimore took outfielder Anthony Santander eight years ago and gambled. It paid off handsomely, and he has since been connected to the Dodgers as their backup plan.

“Santander, who ranked third in the majors with 44 home runs last season, is thought to be looking for a five-year deal, likely in the $100 million range,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted. “Santo interests the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays who all missed out on Soto upon signing with the Mets. Additional clubs to keep an eye on are the Dodgers, Tigers, and Nationals.”

Showing hints of his power potential in 2019 with 20 home runs over 93 games as a 24-year-old, Santander takes some time to grow into a reliable big-league hitter. When he hit 33 home runs across 152 games in 2022, he really had a breakthrough. That season started a three-year run during which he appeared in more than 150 games annually and hit 105 homers while preserving remarkable longevity.

With 44 home runs and above 100 RBIs for the first time, the 2024 season represented his career year. He ranked third in the big leagues. For the 30-year-old, who got his first All-Star choice just months before going free agency, where he is likely to land a big contract this summer, the timing could not have been better.

Feinsand noted the Dodgers and Santander in the same line as long back as November when he wrote Los Angeles was “among clubs targeting Juan Soto, while Teoscar Hernández would appear to be the team’s Plan B. Should Hernandez sign elsewhere, Santander would be a perfect fit for right field.”

With an estimated annual value in the $20–23 million area, contract expectations for the Dodgers star match those for Santander. Given his two years older than Santander, his expected deals are shorter in term, nonetheless.

Hernández provides more than just raw power; averaging 32 home runs over a 162-game season. Along with 32 doubles, two triples, 99 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases—matching his career-high—this past year he achieved a.272 batting average with a. 339 on-base percentage.