After winning the World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has a lot of work to do to get the roster in a place to repeat in 2021.
The Dodgers could be losing a number of key players to free agency with Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Kiké Hernandez, Blake Treinen, Pedro Baez and Alex Wood all among those testing the open market this winter.
It remains to be seen how many of those players the Dodgers will be able to re-sign, and Friedman has made it clear he hopes some will be back. Though, he also wants to give them all a chance to talk to other teams to get the most out of the free agency process.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Hernandez is one of the more sought-after players on the open market because of his versatility:
Though the utility market isn’t quite bustling, the versatility of Jurickson Profar and Kiké Hernandez has made them among the more popular free-agent names, according to sources. … Neither will break the bank. Both should do well.
Hernandez has been a fan-favorite since joining the Dodgers in 2015, coming up with a number of big hits in the postseason while also playing stellar defense at essentially every position.
All 30 teams can use a player with his skillset, so it comes as no surprise that Hernandez is receiving a lot of interest. The Minnesota Twins are already among the teams that have been linked to him, among others.
Hernandez is coming off a down season for the Dodgers, hitting just .230/.270/.410 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 48 games. Those numbers came in a shortened campaign though, so it remains to be seen how much it will affect him in free agency.
Hernandez looking for one-year contract
Although Hernandez’s name may be popular right now, it may actually not take much to sign him as it was previously he is looking for a one-year contract.
With the financial landscape of the sport still in question due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Hernandez likely isn’t the only one trying to sign a one-year deal to hit the open market again in a year.
The Dodgers have some other utility options like Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and Zach McKinstry, so they likely wouldn’t get into a bidding war to retain Hernandez if a bunch of other teams are indeed interested.
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