From the moment he arrived at training camp, Teoscar Hernandez felt welcome in his new environment.
Traded to the Seattle Mariners at the start of the offseason for reliever Erik Swanson and up-and-coming pitcher Adam Macko, Hernandez was initially surprised to find himself on the West Coast. Once the shock has been absorbed, the Dominican sees the future with optimism and says he is ready to take up the challenge of helping his new team to move to the next level.
Last season, Teoscar Hernandez and his Toronto teammates got a taste of the medicine of the Mariners when they were knocked out by them in the 2022 playoffs curtain raiser.
This season, Hernandez aims to see the Mariners participate in the real season again, but this time extending the fun. Seattle suffered the elimination against the World Series champions, the Houston Astros.
In an interview on the airwaves of MLB NetworkHernandez spoke enthusiastically about his new beginning and his experience with the Blue Jays since 2017. He spent his first moments in the Majors in an Astros uniform.
Whoever patrols right field in Seattle is excited to see a player like Julio Rodriguez every day. The fact of having shared the daily life of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette over the past few seasons has prepared him for this type of moment.
He considers that like Guerrero Jr., Rodriguez can do everything on the baseball field and he puts the 2022 All-American Rookie of the Year winner in a category of his own.
The leaders of the Mariners made this transaction so that their diamond would be better protected in the offensive role so as not to become the sole target of opposing pitchers. With Hernandez in the lineup, opposing gunners will have to face the music.
The addition of a Teoscar Hernandez will give the Mariners more teeth while providing the spark they lacked to help develop Rodriguez and other young players growing within the organization. Yes, they sacrificed a top reliever, but the price was worth it.
Teoscar Hernandez has yet to receive confirmation of his position in the batting lineup from his manager Scott Servais, but expect to see him listed not far from number 44.
The Mariners will again have to battle hard with the Houston Astros to carve out a place in the playoffs, but let’s say that they will be better equipped offensively speaking to get there.
We bet that the intensity demonstrated by Hernandez in Toronto was also a determining factor in the management of the Mariners being ready to pay the right price to proceed with its acquisition.
For the moment and despite a brief sample, the newcomer to the Mariners feels at home waiting to step onto the field at T-Mobile Park. Until then, he will proudly represent his country at the World Classic.
