The biggest will they/ won’t they of Major League Baseball’s offseason has been whether or not the Los Angeles Dodgers will re-sign veteran outfielder, Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez played some of the best baseball of his career in last season’s championship run.
Now that they are officially in defense of that championship, they are pulling out all the stops to become the first repeat world champ in nearly a quarter century. Well, almost all the stops. The two sides of this negotiation, are reportedly close to a deal but have reportedly gotten stuck around the deferral salary, which has become a favorite tool of the Dodgers.
Dave Roberts Advocates For Dodgers Re-signing Teoscar Hernandez
While there are many calling for the Dodgers to acquiesce to the demands, there may be no bigger voice than that of manager Dave Roberts, who gave an earnest assessment of the team’s chances without Hernandez.
“It would be tough,” Roberts said of the team moving on to another player. “Obviously I’m a huge fan of Teo. We have a great relationship. His words, he loved everything about being a Dodger, and I’m always going to be a Teo fan.”
“There’s not a whole lot of guys that can start 157, 158 ballgames and post and then to be that productive. Then you layer on being in a big market, helping us win a championship. So those players don’t come around very often.”
“But obviously Teo has put himself in a very good position as a free agent and had a very productive year. So he’s got some decisions to make as well. He’s going to kind of suss those out. It would be hard for me not to see him coming back.”
Two teams remain in the running for Hernandez, the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Bluejays. Many believe he is still leaning into returning to LA, as he has communicated his desire to do so, but at 32 years old, cashing in must be top of mind.
The Dodgers have already added outfielder Michael Conforto this offseason.