Dodge brought Teoscar Hernandez Re-signed to a three-year contract. Republik Sports customers are reportedly guaranteed $66MM, including a $23MM signing bonus. The deferred payment is slightly more than $23MM, and the deal includes a $15MM team option for the 2028 season. The Dodgers have yet to announce the signing.
Hernandez, 32, got the three-year deal he had been seeking. After a stellar first season with the Dodgers, the slugger said returning to the Dodgers is a priority. Hernandez hit 33 home runs in 652 games and batted .272/.339/.501. He carried that strong performance into the postseason, hitting .250/.352/.417 with three long balls in 16 games to help the Dodgers win their second championship in five years. .
That’s the ideal outcome for a player on a pillow contract. Hernandez became a free agent last winter after a middling season in Seattle. As a Mariner, he hit .258/.305/.435 in 678 games. As a result, Hernandez did not find the lucrative long-term offer he had been seeking. Although the Red Sox offered him a two-year deal with $28MM in guaranteed money, he signed for one season with $23.5MM in deferred salary in order to rebuild his market value.
This couldn’t be better for both parties. Hernandez is having one of the best seasons of his career. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the second time and won the Silver Slugger Award, while being voted MVP for the third time. Hernandez hit a career high in home runs and his hitting statistics were consistent with his best years in Toronto. He is an important part of the championship roster.
The 2023 decline looks a bit anomalous. He’s not the only veteran hitter struggling in Seattle’s extremely pitcher-friendly home field. Since breaking out in 2020, Hernandez has been an impact hitter in the other four seasons. .493 batting line. There will be a fair number of strikeouts, but few players will hit the ball as hard as he does. Hernandez would hit over 30 doubles and hit at least 25-30 home runs every year.
Hernandez is the only key offensive player the Dodgers are worried about losing in free agency. he will come back to join Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Bates, freddie freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, Tommy Edelman and Gavin Lux In a loaded offense. the dodgers added Michael Conforto Signed a one-year, $17MM contract at the Winter Meetings. No other team can match the depth of Los Angeles’ roster.
From a defensive standpoint, the Dodgers are taking some risks. Although Hernandez has great arm strength and incredible athleticism, he has never been rated as an elite defender. That continues this season. Defensive runs saved feel like he was 3-under in 1,308 combined innings between the corner outfield positions. Statcast was even harsher on him, estimating him 11 points below average.
Hernandez is under contract until age 34 and is unlikely to improve. That’s not an option for teams with Ohtani. The Dodgers moved Betts to shortstop and had Hernandez and Conforto double-team Edelman in the outfield. They’ll settle for a mediocre defensive lineup for a chance to combine with a lineup loaded with quality hitters.
Conforto’s addition and Hernandez’s re-signing hinder youngster’s path to daily hitting Andy Pages and James Altman. The latter feels like a candidate for a change of scenery after a disappointing second MLB season. The Dodgers may be reluctant to trade the 24-year-old Page, who posted a league average of .248/.305/.407 in his rookie season. He still has a minor league option, so if they don’t want to limit him to the fourth outfield job, they could start him in Triple-A.
Page has nothing to prove in the minors, but the Dodgers have the resources to keep loading up. Other teams will at least try to move him away via trade, although Los Angeles may prefer to keep him as Conforto’s replacement after next season. Sign a contract Blake Snell and retain Blake Trenin Earlier in the winter, the Dodgers didn’t have any glaring holes on their roster.
When the offseason began, MLBTR projected that Hernandez would get a three-year deal for $6M. Although the extension will reduce the net present value somewhat, his original funding will be slightly higher than forecast. A three-year, $660,000 deal with no extensions would come with a $220,000 competitive balance tax hit. Hernandez’s numbers will end up being slightly lower than that. The specific payment structure, which has not yet been fully reported, will determine how MLB calculates the contract for tax purposes.
Including Hernandez, RosterResource calculates the Dodgers’ luxury tax bill to be approximately $353MM, pending extension details. They far exceed the $301MM mark that represents the last level of penalties. Their tax rate on the final AAV is 110%. Re-signing Hernandez next year will likely cost them over $400,000 after taxes. The Dodgers are undeterred by CBT and are working hard for a repeat performance.
Hernandez turned down a qualifying offer. Other teams would have to give up draft picks to sign him. The Dodgers simply gave up the right to receive a 2025 compensatory draft pick after the fourth round. The Blue Jays and Red Sox have also been linked to Hernandez this winter. Those clubs (especially Toronto) could turn to Anthony Santanderwho is the clear top unsigned outfielder. Jurikson Profal A step or two below the next best outfield bat.
Yancen Pujols first reported that Hernandez and the Dodgers were finalizing a three-year, $660,000 deal. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo confirmed the parties have reached an agreement. ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the $15MM option for 2028, along with a signing bonus and roughly $23MM in extensions.
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