When the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the NLDS, it was a moment of triumph for a team that hadn’t won a postseason series in three years.
When being interviewed postgame by Ken Rosenthal, Kiké Hernández mentioned the one thing that separated the 2024 Dodgers team from others of the past. They simply didn’t give a f—.
Hernández was fined by Major League Baseball for the use of explicit language on live broadcast, and was close to being suspended for a postseason game.
Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times writes about Hernández’s hot mic moment, noting how his agent and the MLBPA helped to minimize the punishment.
“I was going to get an even heftier fine and I was going to get a game suspension, but having a good agent and having a good player union came in handy. They got rid of the suspension and they got to lower down the fine a little bit, which was good.”
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Could the Dodgers be in the market for another two-way player?
Free agent pitcher Michael Lorenzen is marketing himself as a potential two-way player. Across 147 career plate appearances at the big league level, Lorenzen carries a .233/.282/.429 slash line with seven home runs and 24 RBI. He could eventually help his new suitor open up a roster spot to add another pitcher.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes about Lorenzen’s decision, noting that teams with a set roster, like the Dodgers, that might want to add an extra arm could make a move for him at the deadline if he signs a multi-year deal with a small market team first.
Teams that employ large numbers of platoons might not consider keeping an extra pitcher an advantage. But teams with fairly set lineups might welcome the spare arm. The Los Angeles Dodgers will be in that position next season if, as expected, Ohtani resumes pitching. If the Dodgers then traded for a two-way Lorenzen, they could choose from among 15 pitchers. Which would be the most Dodgers thing ever.
[Editor’s note: Lorenzen has not batted in the majors since 2021, and without having at least three plate appearances as a position player or designated hitter in at least 20 games in either 2024 or 2023, he doesn’t yet qualify as a two-way player to start 2025, so he’d have to earn that status next year before being allowed two-way classification.]
Rosenthal and Alanna Rizzo appeared on the Foul Territory podcast on Thursday, where Rosenthal completely downplayed the idea of third baseman Nolan Arenado being traded to the Dodgers.
“I don’t believe he’s going to go there, and the Dodgers have Max Muncy at third. They have other things that they want to do— the bullpen— this offseason. Nolan Arenado is not a priority for them.”