There’s no doubt that outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has been instrumental to the heights that the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached in 2024. Now that L.A. is just two victories away from winning the World Series, the Dodgers have something else other than a title to look forward to in their near future.
Dodgers owe much thanks to Teoscar Hernandez for World Series run
Hernandez, who has powered the Dodgers through the postseason with his high RBI count, will be a free agent come season’s end. The 31-year-old shrewdly signed a favorable short-term deal with the Dodgers for $23.5 million over one year ahead of the current campaign.
The Dominican talent turned that investment in himself into a career outing, where he posted 33 home runs and 99 RBIs while slashing .272/.339/.501. In the playoffs, the two-time All-Star has kept things up with three homers and 10 RBIs.
Hernandez wants to remain loyal to the Dodgers in free agency
Should his legwork out of the fourth slot in Los Angeles’ batting order help them put their stamp on the 2024 World Series, he’ll hold all the cards on the negotiating table this coming offseason. Nevertheless, he is open to showing his hand to the Dodgers and not hitting them with a whammy, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post’s published quote from Hernandez states (h/t Valentina Martinez of Dodgers Nation):
“Teoscar Hernandez told me he’d love to return to the Dodgers. ‘One thousand percent,’ Hernandez said,” wrote Heyman.
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Dodgers could smartly re-up Hernandez to a long-term deal despite financial situation
Hernandez is one of the better left fielders in the Major Leagues, and his body of work throughout the regular season has him well-positioned to garner an All-MLB Team nod as well as his first championship. The Dodgers would greatly benefit from keeping him around. Superstar former MVPs Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman all need a reliable slugger to drive them home when in scoring position, and he’s the right man for the responsibility.
It’s Hernandez’s .250 batting average with the bases loaded and even more impressive .291 average under pressure with two outs that make him a valued contributor that can aid the Dodgers in racking up more World Series appearances in the coming years. Los Angeles’ payroll for 2025 and on, as of now, has room for Hernandez to ink a lucrative multi-year deal. However, as the offseason takes shape, their willingness, or lack thereof, to pay him a sizable salary will become clearer.
