The Los Angeles Dodgers continued tinkering with their roster on Monday as they traded Manuel Margot and prospect Rayne Doncon to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Minor League shortstop Noah Miller.
Margot was originally acquired in the deal that brought Tyler Glasnow to L.A. during the offseason. The veteran outfielder’s inclusion was somewhat curious due to his high salary and waning production over recent years.
The Dodgers trading Margot to the Twins paved the way for the team to re-sign Kiké Hernández to a one-year contract. The super utility man is arguably a better fit on the roster as he provides even more versatility and another option against left-handed pitching.
According to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times, the Twins are only covering $4 million of Margot’s $10 million salary for the 2024 season, which is the same amount that Hernández will earn this year, making the moves cash-neutral:
While Margot was due to earn $10 million from the Dodgers, the team is sending cash to the Twins that will effectively pay down Margot’s salary there to $4 million — effectively, a cash-neutral pair of transactions when accounting for Hernández’s new deal.
Hernández reportedly had been hoping to return to the Dodgers but the possibility dwindled after the team acquired Margot and signed Teoscar Hernández. He was reportedly nearing a free agency decision during the weekend, which prompted L.A. to work quickly to clear space on their roster for him.
The Dodgers reunited with Hernández at the trade deadline last season, who experienced a bounce-back back in L.A. after a slow start with the Boston Red Sox.
The 32-year-old hit .262/.308/.423 in 54 games with the Dodgers and actually fared better against right-handed pitching. However, he was playing through a hernia injury, which required surgery during the offseason.
In his first comments since re-signing, Hernández expressed excitement to not only be back with the Dodgers but being healthy again as well.
Dodgers discussed Manuel Margot trade with Red Sox
Prior to trading him to Minnesota, the Dodgers reportedly discussed a deal that would have sent Margot to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Kenley Jansen, but talks never advanced
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