Kiké Hernández returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers at this year’s trade deadline and saw improved results after struggling earlier in the season with the Boston Red Sox.
Hernández is now a free agent for the second time in his career and recently admitted he has no idea how the process will play out this offseason. The 32-year-old did say he is more open to re-signing with the Dodgers this time around.
However, Hernández will likely find himself on the market until some of the bigger players like Shohei Ohtani come off the board. The utility man isn’t likely to get another chance as a starting player, but he should still provide value to whichever team signs him.
Despite being a productive player, the process of MLB free agency puts players like Hernández in a bad position, which he explained, via the “Foul Territory” show:
“The hard part that sometimes the big dogs control the market and all of us middle tier guys have to wait for the big dogs to sign somewhere so the market can take off. This year, I’m sure Shohei is going to control a lot of what happens in the market. With my free agency in ’20, every team that was interested in me was also interested in Ha-Seong Kim. That was a different process, because they had to bid and it was all secret. Nobody knew until the last day who won the bid, and obviously the Padres won that bid, and they were one of the teams that were in on me. Sure enough, all the other teams that missed out on him started calling and I already had crossed some those of teams off because of the fit or whatever. That’s the main problem. We don’t have a deadline to sign.”
Hernández batted .262/.308/.423 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBI in 54 games with the Dodgers this past season. He hit just .222/.279/.320 with 17 extra-base hits and 31 RBI in 86 games with the Red Sox before the trade.
As the Dodgers look to fill out their bench this offseason, Hernández is certainly a candidate to return due to his success against left-handed pitching, versatility and clubhouse presence.
Hernández had double hernia surgery in October but should resume baseball activities around the end of November. That timeline leaves him well on track to make a full recovery in time for the start of Spring Training and certainly Opening Day.
Kiké Hernández makes Clayton Kershaw prediction
Hernández predicted that fellow free agent Clayton Kershaw will re-sign with the Dodgers for 2024. The left-hander underwent surgery to repair the glenohumeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder, and expressed hope that he will return around the midway point of next season.
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