The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year, $23.5 million contract with the outfielder Teoscar Hernandezaccording to ESPN's Jeff Passan (X Left). Only $15 million of that salary will be paid to Hernandez this year, with the rest deferred and paid in installments from 2030 to 2039. Reporter Moises Fabian (about X) was first with the news that Hernandez had signed with Los Angeles. Hernandez is represented by Republik Sports.
Reports of the Dodgers' interest in Hernandez surfaced shortly after the free agent market opened in early November, and LA maintained that interest until today's deal. It was known that the Dodgers were still looking for a right-handed hitter, and they have now addressed that need with a former All-Star and Silver Slugger who has hit 147 home runs in 3,002 plate appearances since the start of the season 2018 season.
After a series of productive years with the Blue Jays, Hernandez was replaced by Erik Swanson and Adam Macko last offseason, and Hernandez's move to Seattle led to a decline in his performance. While he still managed 26 yards, Hernandez batted just .258/.305/.435 in 678 plate appearances, and his 105 wRC+ was well below his 133 wRC+ from 2020-22. Since Hernandez's underlying metrics were largely consistent with his career norms, it seems possible that the biggest culprit was simply T-Mobile Park. Hernandez hit just .217/.263/.380 in the Mariners' home stadium last season, as opposed to a much stronger .295/.344/.486 slash line on the road.
While Dodger Stadium itself has a reputation for being pitcher-friendly, it's clear that Hernandez could get back on track in a new environment, and this one-year deal could reflect his desire to re-establish himself before retiring a longer career. temporary contract. MLB Trade Rumors ranked Hernandez at No. 12 on our list of the 50 best free agents of the winter and projected a four-year, $80 million deal for him, under the logic that the lack of premium bats in the offseason would still result in a big contract for Hernandez would be the result of a disappointing 2023 campaign.
There's more to come…