The Los Angeles Dodgers cruised to a franchise record 106 wins during the 2019 season, only to suffer their earliest postseason exit in four years to the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals.
The end result, while disappointing, paved the way for an action-packed offseason. Looking to infuse the roster with another star, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman cast a wide net in his search.
He explored the possibility of signing a top free agent such as Gerrit Cole or Anthony Rendon, but didn’t wind up with either player. L.A. then pivoted to the trade market, where many additional game-changers were said to be available.
Though it took some time to come to fruition, the Dodgers ultimately accomplished their goal by acquiring 2018 American League MVP winner Mookie Betts and five-time All-Star David Price from the Boston Red Sox.
The additions of Betts and Price further bolstered what was already one of the deepest rosters in baseball. Kiké Hernandez went as far as saying the 2020 Dodgers team could go down as the most talented clubhouse he’s ever been around, via SportsNet LA:
“The team that Andrew and the front office was able to put together, this would’ve been my sixth season with the Dodgers. Obviously, with five division titles and two World Series appearances, I think our 2020 team is by far the best team I’ve been a part of and those were really exciting things to look forward to.”
As Hernandez alluded to, he has been part of impressive Dodgers rosters over the previous five seasons — a stretch that included five National League West titles and two World Series appearances.
However, it is fair to say that the potential 2020 Dodgers roster may wind up going down as the most talented of Hernandez’s tenure thus far with the organization.
Betts’ presence gave the Dodgers a third former MVP winner and the team went on to end the franchise’s championship drought.
Hernandez’s future with Dodgers
Hernandez was among the several players to become a free agent the morning after the World Series concluded. There have yet to be any public reports of the Dodgers’ interest in re-signing Hernandez, nor that from other clubs.
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