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In one of the more perplexing decisions of the offseason, Teoscar Hernandez, one of the true breakout performers of the 2024 MLB season, has not been re-signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now granted, that might be because about a quarter of the MLB would love to secure the services of the former Seattle Mariner, as he won the Home Run Derby, became an All-Star, won the Silver Slugger, and became a World Series champion in his first season in Blue Heaven. With some of the top names off the board, most notably Juan Soto, teams that missed out on the contest could look at Hernandez as a viable 1b, with impressive enough numbers to justify a contract in the $22-24 million range.
But what happens if the Dodgers aren't able to secure Hernandez's services? What if a team like the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, or someone else swoops in with an above-market contract offer, and the Dodgers have to look elsewhere for their own 1b? Well, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, LA has options, from signing a player outright in free agency to making a trade for an interesting outfielder option.
“As negotiations with free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández remain at an impasse, the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are exploring a number of intriguing right-handed hitting alternatives,” Rosenthal wrote. “The potential options, according to sources briefed on the team's discussions, include infielder Ha-Seong Kim in free agency and Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki, Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and others in trade.”
Now, as Rosenthal noted in his story, the biggest question mark surrounding a potential backup plan for re-signing Hernandez is the presence of Mookie Betts and what position the Dodgers want to play him at moving forward. While Kim is a utility man, winning the gold glove in 2023 for his efforts, some teams are viewing him as a center fielder, while others see him more as a middle infielder, where Betts was expected to play last season before being moved to right field in favor of the dynamic duo of Gavin Lux and Tommy Edman.
On paper, adding a player who can do a little bit of everything seems like a solid enough option, be it on a prove-it, 2024 Hernandez-style contract or on something more long-term, but the other options Rosenthal mentioned are interesting too, with Suzuki a five-time Golden Glove winner in Japan – plus a member of Japan's 2020 Olympic baseball team – and Robert being named an All-Star and Silver Slugger in 2023.
Would any of these players help to ease the blow of losing Hernandez? Sure, but come on, if the Dodgers are serious about winning now and making their fans incredibly happy moving forward, they should just re-sign Hernandez and guarantee that he is a part of the team's title defense come the spring. He's a great locker room guy, his manager wants him back, and if the money is close, jersey sales should help to make up the difference. Throw that all together, and keeping Hernandez just makes the most sense for the Dodgers, even if Andrew Friedman and company want to play around with fans' feelings just to add some drama to the offseason.
