Why Teoscar Hernandez is not playing for the Red Sox

LOS ANGELES - As the Red Sox begin their three-game series at Dodger Stadium this weekend, life is good for all parties involved.

The visitors come in with a two-game cushion for the final wild card spot, while sitting within striking distance of the top of the American League East. The Dodgers? They are the Dodgers. Cruising to October despite a rash of injuries, eyeing the payoff for possessing the game's biggest payroll.

And then there is Teoscar Hernandez.

The 31-year-old is fresh off living life as an National League All-Star, complete with the Home Run Derby championship.

But there is a sense - at least from the Red Sox' point of view - of what might have been.

Appearing on the 'Baseball Isn't Boring' podcast, Hernandez revealed what happened this past offseason regarding the Sox' pursuit of the outfielder and why he landed with his one-year, $23.5 million with the Dodgers.

"Obviously, I was not going to go and spend my free agency getting a bad deal," Hernandez said. "At the end of the day, I love Red Sox. The Red Sox were one of my favorite teams, and I love playing at (Fenway). But at the end of the day I have to do what is best for me, my career and my family."

The slugger explained that three teams - the Dodgers Red Sox and Angels - made offers, with LA and Boston ending up as the two finalists. "Two years, $28 million," was what Hernandez said the Sox offered, one year shy of what he was seeking.

"At the end, I thought they were going to make it, but unfortunately they had to wait because they had to make some moves and other stuff," Hernandez said of the Red Sox. "I couldn’t wait any longer, so that’s why I decide at the moment to go to the Dodgers."

Hernandez has ultimately been a perfect fit for the Dodgers, who signed the outfielder on Jan. 12. He heads into the series against the Red Sox with an .802 OPS and 19 homers, having played in all but two of Los Angeles' 97 games.

Hernandez admits that the difference in offseason approaches between the Red Sox and Dodgers were hard to to ignore.

"Teams that want to win, they spend. They go after good players," he said. "I’m not saying the (Red Sox) don't have good players, because they do. The Red Sox are really good right now and they have amazing players. But for my part, I want to go to a team that is looking for everybody good to play for them. To spend. To not be afraid to spend and to go after good players so they can make their team better."

He added regarding the Red Sox and Dodgers, "(The Red Sox) are doing a really good job. They’re doing something good over there. ... In this organization, everybody talks about winning. Winning. Winning. And that’s me. I don’t care about anything else. I want to win. I’m at the point in my career that I want to go out there, have fun, have a good year, but also win, too."

For the Red Sox, at least when it comes to Hernandez, they are left with the familiar refrain "maybe next year."

"Before coming to the Dodgers, playing against the Red Sox, I always wondered how it would be playing for the Red Sox," the right-handed hitter said. "I like the field and I like the fans over there. But we couldn’t get on the same page, at the end of the day."