The Los Angeles Dodgers just won the World Series, but they’re now attempting to build a dynasty. The Blake Snell signing on top of an already expensive roster proves just that.
While the Dodgers are still in as good of a position to win the World Series in 2025 as any other team out there, they still have a clear hole in their outfield.
The Dodgers have Tommy Edman locked in as their center fielder and signed Michael Conforto to play a corner outfield spot, but with Mookie Betts moving back to the infield, the question now is who will play the other corner? Sure, the Dodgers could stick with an internal option like Andy Pages or James Outman but is that really in their best interest when Teoscar Hernandez is still a free agent?
Hernandez, a key piece to Los Angeles’ World Series run this past season, is still a free agent a little less than two months after making it abundantly clear that he wanted to remain a Dodger. There was reason to believe that since Hernandez is still out there, his ask was ridiculous. As it turns out, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), that isn’t the case at all.
“Hernández, 32, is seeking a three-year deal between $66 million and $72 million, according to a person briefed on the negotiations.”
The 32-year-old is looking for a three-year deal worth roughly $23 million annually. It might be a bit understandable to see the Dodgers balk at that ask simply because three years is a good amount for an outfielder who already isn’t great defensively, especially when the DH spot is taken up by Shohei Ohtani, but years aren’t the issue, according to Rosenthal. It’s all about the money.
“The contract length does not appear to be a point of contention between the parties. The issue is money.”
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Again, if this was about the term their hesitance would make some sense, but how are the Dodgers unwilling to match that salary ask? If anything, I’d argue that Hernandez’s demands are fairly team-friendly.
This is a guy who set career highs with 33 home runs and 4.3 bWAR this past season. He drove in 99 runs, had a .840 OPS, was an All-Star, and won a Silver Slugger. Hernandez hit in the middle of the Dodgers’ order virtually all season long, consistently coming through when the team needed him to. In what world is an All-Star not worth roughly $23 million on a fairly short-term deal? If Hernandez was asking for that AAV through his late 30s that’d be one thing, but that isn’t what’s going on here.
The Dodgers not only just won the World Series, but made money hand over fist thanks to everything that Shohei Ohtani brought to the organization. They’ve also deferred tons of money on contracts (including the one that Hernandez signed last offseason) to make moves exactly like this one.
There’s always the chance that the Dodgers come to their senses and simply pay the player who clearly wants to return, but Hernandez should stay firm at his ask. If the Dodgers won’t meet his price, there’s a good chance another team will considering how reasonable it is. The Dodgers have other options that they can consider, but it’d be tough for them to find one who fits in as well as Hernandez did.
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