The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their monster winter spending spree over the weekend by adding a potent bat to their lineup. The club inked outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to a one-year deal, adding him to a roster that’s been retooled with the additions of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow.
Hernandez entered the off-season as one of the better offensive players in what’s been considered a weaker free-agent class. He should slot nicely into a star-studded lineup behind all-stars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Here’s a closer look at the deal and what it means.
The deal: Hernandez and the Dodgers agreed on a one-year, $23.5-million contract. According to reports, $8.5 million of that will be deferred and paid off between 2030 and 2039.
The runners-up: The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels were among the teams said to be interested in Hernandez. The Dodgers had long been linked to the slugger and so landing him comes as no surprise.
The player: Hernandez established himself as a legitimate power threat during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. His 125 home runs since 2019 rank 23rd in baseball — more than Bryce Harper, George Springer and J.D. Martinez over that span.
He was traded ahead of the 2023 season to the Seattle Mariners for reliever Erik Swanson and minor-league left-hander Adam Macko. Hernandez’s production dipped in Seattle, with his .741 OPS in 2023 marking his worst output since his rookie campaign in 2016. As well, he struck out a career-high 211 times, the third-most in MLB.
Those struggles were pronounced at T-Mobile Park — Hernandez slashed .217/.263/.380 at the Seattle ballpark compared to a respectable .295/.344/.486 on the road.
Despite the rough 2023 season though, it’s important to note that the 31-year-old’s Statcast metrics remained strong. His hard-hit percentage of 49.4 ranked in the 90 percentile of big-leaguers while his 13.8 per cent barrel rate registered in the 88 percentile.
The fit: The Dodgers had prioritized pitching thus far in the off-season with the signings of Ohtani and Yamamoto, in addition to the trade for Glasnow. The club’s offence was not lacking by any means in 2023, ranking second in MLB only to the Atlanta Braves in homers (249) and OPS (.795).
Hernandez figures to replace the production of designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who clubbed 33 homers and drove in 103 RBIs with the Dodgers but is currently an unsigned free agent. Like T-Mobile Park, Dodger Stadium does have a reputation as a pitcher-friendly environment but Hernandez’s ability to hit left-handed pitching (.887 career OPS) should complement the lineup.
After spending the majority of his career in right field, Hernandez figures to slide over to left field for the Dodgers, a move that could improve his defensive value.
The market: MLB Trade Rumors predicted Hernandez would net a four-year, $80-million contract. He did not beat that in terms of dollars, but nonetheless, his one-year deal grades out as lucrative and with a strong 2024 campaign, the slugger could potentially set himself up well for another go at free agency next winter.
The next domino: Hernandez now joins former Blue Jays teammate Lourdes Gurriel Jr. as another outfielder taken off the market. With that, the focus on Cody Bellinger — the best free-agent position player this side of Ohtani — could be even stronger.
