The Los Angeles Dodgers recently lost one of their key players from the last few seasons with Kiké Hernandez officially signing a two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox.
Hernandez served as the Dodgers’ primary utilityman since joining the team via trade with the Miami Marlins. He provided tremendous defensive versatility in addition to coming up with a number of clutch hits in the postseason.
With Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux, Zach McKinstry and others to fill the utility role, it became clear early in the offseason that Hernandez would not be returning to L.A.
The Red Sox were one of the worst teams in baseball in 2020, so it was a bit of a surprise when Hernandez signed with them coming off a season in which he won the World Series with the Dodgers.
During his introductory press conference in Boston, Hernandez explained his reasoning for signing with the team included more opportunities to start, via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com:
Kiké Hernandez cites increased playing time and his familiarity with the coaching staff as reasons he signed with the Red Sox. Has known Alex Cora since he was a kid and also has familiarity with Ramon Vazquez, Tim Hyers and Will Venable.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 2, 2021
Hernandez’s desire for more playing time makes sense considering the Dodgers never really gave him the opportunity to be an everyday player. He is expected to get that with the Red Sox at second base, although he could move the diamond as well considering he is so strong defensively at basically every position.
As a Puerto Rico native, Hernandez’s relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora also unsurprisingly played a role in him signing there. Hernandez has played for Cora in the World Baseball Classic in the past.
Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers previously served as the assistant hitting coach of the Dodgers, so there is some familiarity there as well.
While it remains to be seen if the Red Sox will get back on track and compete for a postseason berth in 2021, the addition of a player of Hernandez’s caliber will certainly help their cause.
Hernandez bids farewell to Dodgers in emotional video
Hernandez was a fan favorite during his time in L.A., often bringing entertainment in addition to his play on the field.
He will forever be remembered as a World Series champion, and it appears he is leaving with fond memories of his own as he recorded an emotional video to bid farewell to the Dodgers organization, teammates and fans.
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