The Los Angeles Dodgers have already had an offseason for the ages by signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, along with trading for Tyler Glasnow, but there is still some work remaining for the club.
Adding to the starting rotation depth remains an area the Dodgers will look to address, as is their corner outfield. The Dodgers have already added Jason Heyward and Manuel Margot to their outfield mix, but a need remains for an everyday outfielder with Mookie Betts slated to play second base.
Early in the offseason, the Dodgers showed interest in Teoscar Hernández, and according to Francys Romero of MLB.com, the Dodgers have continued to keep tabs on the veteran outfielder:
Dodgers are among the teams still monitoring OF Teoscar Hernández market, per sources.
They are not favorites to sign Hernandez but they can surprise.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 25, 2023
Although Hernández was still productive, he is coming off a down season with the Seattle Mariners in which he batted .258/.305/.435 with 29 doubles, 26 home runs, 93 RBI, a 106 OPS+, .317 wOBA and 105 wRC+ over 160 games.
Prior to that, Hernández was one of the best sluggers in the game with three consecutive seasons with at least an .807 on-base plus slugging percentage and 130 wRC+. The stretch included winning a Silver Slugger Award in back-to-back seasons and a selection to the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.
Even with some of his regression this year, the 31-year-old hit .287/.307/.511 with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 27 RBI across 150 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Struggles against left-handed pitching is something the Dodgers have been looking to address for years, so Hernández could be the latest addition to assist against southpaws.
Defensively, Hernández ranks about league average, but he has a strong arm and good speed that help him make an impact in the field.
If signed, Hernández would give the Dodgers an everyday left fielder and allow Chris Taylor to primarily fill in as a utility man. He would also give the club some much-needed right-handed power in the middle of their lineup as they are slated to feature a left-handed heavy batting order.
Teoscar Hernández contract predictions
If the Dodgers sign Hernández, it seems unlikely they would be open to giving him more than a one- or two-year deal. MLB Trade Rumors has Hernández predicted to sign a four-year, $80 million deal, so it’s hard to see the Dodgers going that far to sign him.
If his market doesn’t materialize, however, the Dodgers could possibly sign him to a deal that works for the terms they’d be willing to offer.
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