Something needs to change for the Boston Red Sox this winter.

For three years, the Red Sox have been too inconsistent a team to make an honest playoff push. They could do so in 2024 if they invest properly in starting pitching and a right-handed bat. But they haven’t shown the urgency in past winters to make those kind of necessary investements.

This winter, there’s been talk that the Red Sox will finally be ready to open up their wallets. And with specific regards to right-handed hitting, Teoscar Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been a popular name discussed as a target for Boston.

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe sees the same obvious fit for Hernández in Boston as most do, but he had a word of caution for the Red Sox’s pursuit of the slugger. He believes the Dodgers’ likelihood of extending Hernández a qualifying offer diminishes the odds that the Red Sox might pull off the signing.

“Teoscar Hernandez seems like such a natural fit… but might not be if he’d require not only a multi-year deal but also the sacrifice of a second-round draft pick if the Dodgers make him a qualifying offer,” Speier said in a Reddit AMA on Wednesday.

Speier touched on the subject a second time, when specifically asked to address whether the Red Sox would spend big on right-handed bats.

“I wouldn’t think ‘bargain bin’ would be adequate, especially if O’Neill walks. But I do question whether they’ll chase, for instance, Teoscar Hernandez given that the Dodgers will likely drop a qualifying offer on him.”

If there’s any player worth breaking the bank for this winter, Hernández is that player for the Red Sox. He’s coming off a career-high 33 home runs, put up an .840 OPS/137 OPS+, and had some huge playoff moments, including the game-tying two-run double in Wednesday’s World Series Game 5.

Hernández is currently projected for a three-year, $75 million contract by Jim Bowden of The Athletic. There’s no telling where the final figure will fall, but any team willing to pay that dollar amount should also be willing to surrender a second-round pick as part of the bargain.

In short, there’s no reason for the Red Sox to be scared off. But if they somehow create one in their brains, they’ll just be losing out on yet another top talent who can get them closer to a championship.