The Los Angeles Dodgers’ dogged pursuit of assembling a talented roster has been the talk of the offseason as the organization has flexed their financial muscle and influence to attract the game’s best players.
Among those signed this winter was Teoscar Hernández, the fan favorite who provided the team with a boost in several areas in his debut season with the club last year. Having the most decorated season in his career, Hernández was vocal about a desire to re-sign with the Dodgers, but his free agent experience led to a number of potential suitors.
There were rumblings from a handful of teams aside from the Dodgers who were interested in the 32-year-old, but a reunion with the reigning World Series champions was the ultimate goal.
During an appearance on “Foul Territory,” Hernández reflected on free agency and shared he doesn’t believe other teams are as motivated to win as the Dodgers are:
“No, I don’t think so. Because if teams want to win, they don’t go into free agency telling players, ‘Oh, we need to make a trade for us to get money’ or ‘ We need to make a trade for us to open up room’ or ‘We need to make a trade for this type of player.’
“If you want to compete, you just sign players. You make the move quick and you sign good players in free agency. I don’t see that from the other teams that were interested in my services.”
The Dodgers head into the 2025 season with a projected payroll that could go past $380 million. Since the conclusion of the 2023 season, they’ve added nearly $1.78 billion in guaranteed salary.
A point of contention has been the Dodgers’ use of deferrals in contracts, and coupling that with Shohei Ohtani’s incredibly team-friendly structure, they can be very flexible with future deals.
The Dodgers have been praised by some front office executives for what they’ve built, both with the cash flow and their stability from top-to-bottom.
The opposite of the norm is Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, who recently praised the Dodgers for how well-run they are.
He stated that, yes, the Dodgers do have an ability to outspend teams for elite players, but they also create a positive and desirable place for free agents. They also draft well and find hidden gems in trades from other teams, a main reason why their prospect pool is always stocked.
Teoscar Hernández wants Dodgers to re-sign Kiké Hernández
There doesn’t appear to be much left for the Dodgers to accomplish as Spring Training nears, with Clayton Kershaw the clearest impending signing.
Re-signing Kiké Hernández may also be in the cards, which Teoscar Hernández said he is hopeful for.
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