Ranking free agent outfielders for KC Royals to target heading into 2025

1. Teoscar Hernández

On October 31, The Athletic's Jim Bowden named the Royals as a "best team fit" for Teoscar Hernández, and aside from Soto, there's no question that he's the best outfielder available on the market right now. Coming off a World Series win with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 32-year-old is looking to keep that momentum going, and he'd be a great addition to Kansas City's roster as they chase down another playoff campaign in 2025.

In 154 regular-season games (589 at-bats) with the Dodgers this season, Hernández posted a .272/.339/.501 line with a career-best 33 home runs, 99 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He earned the second All-Star selection of his career this season, and won the MLB Home Run Derby, becoming the first player in Dodgers history to ever win the contest. Hernández appeared in 16 games during Los Angeles' successful postseason campaign, batting .250 with 3 home runs and 12 RBI in 60 at-bats.

Unfortunately, Hernández's performance on defense has always left a bit to be desired, and this season, it was a disaster. In 2024, his OAA score in left field was a career-worst -9, which ranked him 260th out of 274 qualified fielders. Similarly, his -11 Fielding Run Value (FRV) was the worst he's posted in his nine-season career in the majors.

Despite his defensive shortcomings, Sportrac projects that Hernández will secure a 3-year, $71.2 million contract this winter, which isn't far off Bowden's 3-year, $75 million prediction for the right fielder. These projections put Hernández's AAV at $23.8-25 million, just above the $23.5 million he made on his one-year deal with the Dodgers in 2024, and making him by far the most expensive option in these rankings.

Admittedly, a three-year contract in the range of $75 million may be outside of what the Royals are prepared to spend to bolster their outfield right now, especially after recently signing starter Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million contract with an option year and incentives that could increase the value to $72 million. Kansas City may also be resistant to signing a multi-year deal with Hernández, who just turned 32 and is a long way from the strongest defender.

Still, signing Hernández on a one-year contract like he had with the Dodgers isn't out of the question — but the Royals would have to strike early. There are likely to be a number of teams interested in acquiring Hernández for his strong bat, and many will be open to offering a longer, more lucrative deal that Kansas City is able to.