Several Los Angeles Dodgers free agents publicly expressed a desire to remain with the team, including Jack Flaherty, Kiké Hernández, Teoscar Hernández, Clayton Kershaw and Blake Treinen.
The Dodgers re-signed Treinen to a two-year, $22 million contract in December, and came to terms with Teoscar Hernández on a three-year, $66 million deal at the beginning of January.
Meanwhile, Flaherty, Kiké Hernández and Kershaw remain free agents. Kershaw is effectively a lock to re-sign with the Dodgers, likely once Spring Training begins and they can utilize the 60-day injured list.
There’s been a general assumption Hernández would make his way back to L.A. as well, but a roster crunch could prevent that from coming to fruition.
During an appearance on “Dodgers Territory,” Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group suggested there might not be a reunion with Hernández:
“Could he be? Yes. Is he? I am not hearing his name from the Dodgers at all. So take that to mean whatever you want to take it to mean.”
A similar scenario unfolded last offseason, but that concluded with Hernández re-signing with the Dodgers after they created room by trading Manuel Margot to the Minnesota Twins.
The Dodgers value Hernández’s versatility and postseason heroics, but they again have an abundance of position players. The logjam theoretically could be alleviated in some part by starting Andy Pages at Triple-A Oklahoma City rather than as the Dodgers’ center fielder.
Another avenue to the Dodgers re-signing Hernández could be if the team manages to trade from their positional depth, namely Chris Taylor. However, he too provides plenty of versatility and any trade likely would require the Dodgers to pay a portion of Taylor’s remaining salary due to struggles over the last two years.
Kiké Hernández focused on Dodgers
During a visit to Raising Cane’s in Alhambra in order to work a shift at the popular chicken tenders establishment, Hernández implored Dodgers fans to call president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to relay his interest in re-signing.
Hernández later said his “main priority” in free agency was returning with the Dodgers for the 2025 season.
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