After acquiring Manuel Margot from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the Tyler Glasnow trade this off-season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have re-routed the outfielder to the Minnesota Twins.
In an ensuing move, the Dodgers are bringing back utility man Enrique Hernandez on a one-year contract worth $4 million.
Hernandez, who has spent parts of seven seasons with Los Angeles, signed with the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2021 season, but was dealt back to the Dodgers at the 2023 trade deadline.
In 140 games with Los Angeles and Boston, the 32-year-old hit .237 with 11 home runs and 61 RBIs. He also spent time at each defensive position, other than pitcher and catcher.
The Dodgers also reportedly traded prospect Rayne Doncon and cash to the Twins in exchange for infield prospect Noah Miller.
Margot made his major league debut with San Diego in 2016 and was the primary center fielder for the Padres from 2017-19, before being traded to the Rays. In 788 major league games, Margot has batted .255 with a .694 OPS, 52 home runs and 91 stolen bases.
Margot has a $10 million salary this season as part of a $19 million, two-year contract he signed with the Rays, a deal that includes a $12 million mutual option for 2025 with a $2 million buyout. If the buyout is not exercised, the Rays must pay the Dodgers an additional $2 million as part of the Glasnow trade.
Margot will essentially replace Michael A. Taylor, who became a free agent after hitting a career-high 21 homers and playing 126 games in center field last season while star Byron Buxton was limited to designated hitter duty due to knee trouble. Buxton is healthy again and on track to be the regular center fielder, with Matt Wallner in left field and Max Kepler in right field, but multi-position player Willi Castro was the only other sure bet for the opening day roster with reliable outfield experience.
Doncon is a 20-year-old infielder who spent all of 2023 with the low-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
Miller was a Twins first-round pick in 2021, and hit .223 in 120 games for the high-A Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2023.
— With files from The Associated Press
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