As the Los Angeles Dodgers were in search of a right-handed hitting position player at the trade deadline last season, they reunited with Kiké Hernández.
He was in the midst of a down season with the Boston Red Sox but saw improved results after getting traded to the Dodgers. Hernández attributed that to his comfort level with the Dodgers and prior familiarity with their hitting coaches who were able to help correct swing mechanics.
Hernández now is among the group of Dodgers free agents still available and despite his interest in re-signing, that doesn’t appear to be a likely outcome.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Angels have interest in signing Hernández as they look to maintain some flexibility with their designated hitter spot in the wake of losing Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers:
As for offense, the Angels are reluctant to enter the DH market, preferring to leave that spot open for Trout, Rendon and others. In particular, they need protection for Rendon, who has appeared in only 23 percent of the team’s games the past three seasons.
One free agent they’re considering, according to sources briefed on their discussions: Kiké Hernández, who made 11 starts at third after getting traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Dodgers last season and has played every position but catcher during his 10-year career.
Last month it was reported Hernández was drawing interest from multiple playoff-caliber teams.
That wouldn’t apply to the Angels, who haven’t been in the postseason since 2014, when they were swept by the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series.
Hernández hit .262/.308/.423 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBI after being traded to the Dodgers.
When Hernández last was a free agent after the 2020 World Series, he signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Red Sox in order to have an everyday role. The Red Sox then signed him to a one-year extension in 2022.
Kiké Hernández surgery
This offseason began with Hernández undergoing double hernia surgery in early November. He’s expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of Spring Training in February.
The 32-year-old previously underwent surgery in 2022 due to a hematoma in his psoas muscle, which is located between the lower part of the spine and upper thigh. He had missed 33 games during the 2022 season because of what initially was deemed a hip flexor strain.
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