The Los Angeles Dodgers made another move to bolster their player roster on Friday by reportedly signing righty-hitting outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to a multi-year contract. The deal is evidently for three years and $66 million with an option for a fourth year, plus a signing bonus.
Although there still has yet to be an official announcement by the team, Hernandez himself essentially confirmed the signing on his Instagram account by saying to his followers, “I’m back.”
While it seemed as if signing Hernandez should have been among the team’s highest priorities, there were definitely moments where many fans thought that the 32-year-old Dominican native would end up elsewhere. Specifically, the signing of lefty-hitting veteran Michael Conforto on December 10 indicated to some that the team was establishing a contingency plan just in case Hernandez landed a payday with another organization.
Last year, the 6-foot-2 Hernandez slashed .272/.339/.501 with 33 long balls, 32 doubles and 99 RBI in one of his best seasons during his nine-year MLB career. His efforts resulted in his second All-Star selection, with everything being spearheaded by a one-year, $23 million deal with the Dodgers last winter. The signing was another one of many brilliant moments in 2024 by front-office boss Andrew Friedman and his crew.
Besides being a clear fan-favorite, Hernandez was a respected leader in the clubhouse among his Los Angeles teammates. To boot, his clutch hitting superseded his relatively high strikeout rate, particularly during the team’s 2024 playoff run. His biggest offensive contributions were a key home run in Game 5 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres and the score-tying double in the team’s comeback win over the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series.
Although Hernandez has primarily been a right fielder for most of his career, it’s still a bit early to say exactly where he and the 31-year-old Conforto will spend most of their time next year. In 2024, Hernandez appeared in 120 games in left field for the Dodgers after playing 135 games in right field for the Mariners in 2023. Similarly, Conforto made 106 appearances for the Giants in left during 2024 after playing 96 games in right field the previous season.
Regardless, the Dodgers seemingly have a solid setup with Tommy Edman in center, Hernandez and Conforto on the corners, and Andy Pages as a rover. With the possibility of Edman floating to the infield on occasion and the idea of Shohei Ohtani eventually returning to the mound every fifth or sixth day, there still could be enough opportunities for Pages to be used in the lineup regularly.
One downside is that the club still lacks a true center fielder aside from James Outman, who will likely begin the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, unless he ends up with another organization.
Nevertheless, the signing solidifies the Dodgers offensive standing and establishes the team as an early favorite to make another strong playoff run in 2025. With the addition of Blake Snell to the starting pitching rotation — and the potential returns of Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May — the final box to check off may be adding a high-quality relief pitcher.