Early Friday afternoon, the Dodgers officially announced that they had re-signed extremely popular 32-year-old outfielder/designated hitter Teoscar Hernández to a three-year/$66 million contract extension that will keep him in Dodger Blue through the 2027 season.
“I was going to do everything in my power to come back. For me, money wasn’t an issue,” the Cotui, Dominican Republic native, two-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and 2024 Home Run Derby Champion said during his Friday afternoon press conference. “I could’ve gotten five or six more mil from other teams, but if you put me in a place where I had to decide, I would decide to come back because of the way this organization is,” added Teo.
“You can feel the energy he brings to the clubhouse … the infectious smile that he has each and every day,” Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes told reporters. “He was like, ‘Hey, this is a one-year deal, but in an ideal world, we win a World Series and this relationship gets to continue well beyond the one year. It doesn’t always work out this way, but I would say that we’re in an ideal world right now’.”
(SportsNet LA)
Although Gomes’ comment certainly comes across as company line-ish, it also brings to mind the old cliché “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
“Teo checked every single box,” added Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “Shooting a one-year flyer on a player doesn’t always go out into an extension or a multiyear deal, but just what he did for us and how he made everyone better, it was a no-brainer.”
The Teo announcement was (very) welcome news for Dodgers fans but it wasn’t the only big news out of Chavez Ravine for the defending World Series Champions on Friday. Shortly before the Teo news broke, the Dodgers announced that they had signed 26-year-old Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) superstar utility infielder Hyeseong Kim to a three-year/$12.5 million contract, with club options for 2028 and 2029.
“We’re really excited to add him into the mix. We’re talking about a double-plus runner, a really good defender at multiple spots, and some real up-side with the bat,” Gomes told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson. “So we’re excited to get him working with our group and into the next Spring Training.”
While the Kim signing is certainly great news for Dodgers fans, it immediately raises concerns about what the teams’ plans are for current utility players Gavin Lux, Kiké Hernández, and Chris Taylor, among others. According to Gomes, none at all. This from Dodgers beat writer Fabian Ardaya on X.com:
And there’s this from MLB Trade Rumors:
(MLB Trade Rumors)
Although all of this sounds as though ‘all is well in the universe’ and sounds ‘politically correct,’ the chances of the Dodgers beginning the 2025 regular season with four utility infielders on their 26-man – or even their 40-man roster – are very remote; of this you can be sure.
Play Ball!
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