Los Angeles Dodgers star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez recently opened up about how he has come away as a big winner following the one-year deal he signed with the franchise last offseason.
Hernandez, 31, put the pen down on a $23.5 million dollar contract with the Dodgers for the 2024 campaign. He previously emerged as an All-Star talent in 2021, when he garnered such honors for the first time in his nine-year career. The Dominican talent put together a show-worthy campaign in 2023 with 26 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a .258 batting average for the Seattle Mariners, which led many to believe that he made a grave mistake in not securing his long-term future by signing a multi-year contract.
Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez bet on himself with 1-year contract in L.A.
According to Steve Henson of the Los Angeles Times, Hernandez told his agent Rafa Nieves what he wanted out of this season, and it has come to fruition nearly to perfection, as Nieves mentioned, saying:
“We were looking for a 3-year deal, and while reading the market and realizing that deal might not exist, I asked him what his priority was and he said he wanted to win and play deep into October, so we pivoted and focused on getting the best short term deal on the best team interested,” Nieves said.
Hernandez also elaborated on how he drowned out criticisms he heard about his decision, which worked out to his benefit:
“Everybody was saying it was a bad deal because it was a one-year deal, but for me what is important is to get better and win. I’m glad that I’m here,” Hernández told the Athletic.
Hernandez has been instrumental to the Dodgers’ success in 2024 behind career year
Hernandez created a win-win situation for himself now. Not only did he accomplish his goal of winning by helping Los Angeles finish with the best record in the MLB at 98-64 in 2024, but his efficient bat has the Dodgers three wins away from a World Series berth, as they are tied 1-1 in the NLCS with the New York Mets.
Further, Hernandez achieved his other goal by taking his game to levels it had never reached before in 2024. He produced a career-high 33 home runs and 12 stolen bases while supplementing that with 99 RBIs and 84 runs. For his full body of work, the 6-2 righty earned his second All-Star nod and won the 2024 Home Run Derby during the break. He’s been highly effective out of the cleanup spot for L.A. all year long and into the playoffs, having hit .333 with seven RBIs in five NLDS games.
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Hernandez made more money this season and can make even more moving forward
Hernandez is looking to get on the board for the Dodgers in the NLCS, and doing so will only further position him to garner a more lucrative offer from the front office when the campaign’s curtains close. Had Hernandez locked himself down to the multi-year deal he had on his table — being the two-year, $28 million contract the Boston Red Sox offered him — he’d be sitting at home right now, with $9.5 million less to his name.
Instead, he will have the leverage to demand top dollars coming off of his new personal best outing, on a Dodgers payroll that has roughly $65 million coming off of its books this winter, or elsewhere in the open market as a free agent. A World Series crown will drive that all the way home for him.
