It’s necessary in life, in addition to in baseball, to know when a relationship has run its course and it’s time to shake fingers and half on good phrases. Equally, if conversely, it’s necessary to know when to not screw with one thing that works.
So Teoscar Hernández is coming again to Los Angeles. The hard-hitting outfielder will make $22 million per yr for 3 years, with a membership choice for a fourth at $15 million. As a result of that is the Dodgers, there’s all types of accounting rigmarole baked into the contract: a $23 million signing bonus, and one other $23 million in deferred cash, which can drop the worth of the contract for CBT functions (by precisely how a lot, we don’t know fairly but).
A yr in the past, the outfielder signed with the Dodgers on a one-year prove-it contract. Hernández, a first-time free agent, was in an odd scenario on the time. He’d been a important middle-of-the-order hitter for the Blue Jays within the first few years of the 2020s, however he was resulting from make $14 million in his ultimate yr of crew management, so Toronto despatched him to Seattle.
The one approach it may’ve turned out worse is that if Hernández had gotten harm or one way or the other been stricken blind. T-Cellular Park is the worst ballpark within the league for right-handed hitters, and Hernández — whose recreation is totally constructed on offense — suited his new environs as poorly as you may think. Really, it was even worse than that: Hernández posted his highest strikeout charge in three years and his lowest stroll charge ever, and his wRC+ dropped from 130 to 106, so you’ll be able to’t even place all of the blame on the stadium.
That nightmare of a stroll yr depressed Hernández’s market to the purpose the place the Dodgers have been capable of wrap him up for one yr and $23.5 million (which was nearer to $20.4 million after taking deferrals under consideration).
And he appeared like a brand new man. Hernández collected a career-high 33 house runs and hit .272/.339/.501, for a wRC+ of 134. Even taking his horrendous protection under consideration — 302nd out of 304 outfielders in protection final season — he was a 3.5-WAR participant. Seattle needed Hernández to be the second-best hitter on the crew; the Dodgers, with their three-MVP lineup, wanted him to be one thing like their fifth-best choice.
Put one other approach: In each 2023 and 2024, Hernández’s most typical spot within the batting order was fourth. The fellows hitting in entrance of him in Seattle weren’t dangerous by any means — this was earlier than the Mariners all forgot methods to hit this summer season, bear in mind — however the Dodgers are a very totally different animal. Listed below are the commonest 1-2-3 lineup mixtures for the 2023 Mariners and the 2024 Dodgers, together with the share of Hernández’s whole plate appearances that got here with both runners on base or runners in scoring place:
How Effectively Has This Desk Been Set, and How A lot is Teoscar Consuming?
*Ohtani was the Dodgers’ most-used leadoff hitter and no. 2 hitter, adopted by Betts in each circumstances. They hit 1-2 in some order in 112 of Betts’ 115 begins
And it positive appeared like Hernández was having enjoyable at work in 2024. He rapidly established a bromance with Ohtani — by June, individuals have been placing collectively montages of their interactions set to Coldplay — and endeared himself to the followers. Which is sensible — who wouldn’t love a man who slugs .500 and spreads constructive vitality?
If this was destined to be a short collaboration, it could’ve been one for the books: One yr, profession excessive in homers, make the All-Star crew, win the Dwelling Run Derby, win a Silver Slugger, win the World Collection, see ya later. It’s like a memorable recurring function on a long-running sitcom — plenty of enjoyable, even when you already know deep down it wasn’t meant to final.
Most of all, that one-year contract with the Dodgers set Hernández up for a extra profitable second go-around in free company. The Mets, no stranger to free spending themselves, supplied Hernández a two-year cope with an analogous AAV however no deferrals. That wasn’t sufficient to entice Hernández to signal, however it turned out to be extremely efficient when it comes to getting the J.G. Wentworth jingle (“877-CASH-NOW…”) caught in my head.
The Hernández signing is uncommon for a free agent transfer as a result of we all know exactly what an affordable best-case situation seems to be like: We simply noticed it play out. Absolutely each Hernández and the Dodgers predict one other couple seasons of hugs and homers.
The worth of Hernández’s contributions appears fairly effectively settled: Somewhat greater than $20 million a yr. That’s what he made on a one-year deal final yr, and whereas he turned down not solely the Mets’ proposal however a qualifying supply from the Dodgers, it turned out to be in pursuit of extra years, not a better AAV. And if relievers are going for $10 million a yr, and any beginning pitcher with two arms and a pulse makes $15 million a yr, that looks as if a fairly affordable worth for a nook outfielder who can really hit cleanup for a championship crew.
Lots of nook outfielders find yourself at their place as a result of they’re sluggish or have iron fingers. The league-wide wRC+ for left fielders in 2024 was 101; for proper fielders, it was 107. You understand how many outfielders posted a wRC+ of 130 or higher in 400 or extra plate appearances in 2024? Solely 13. Not a whole lot of guys can do what Hernández does with the bat, and fewer nonetheless can be found for nothing however cash to a crew that has extra income than the Previous Testomony. I nonetheless chuckle typically about all of the hand-wringing concerning the Dodgers’ spending. That chatter got here to a head when the Dodgers signed Blake Snell, whereas that exact same week Dodgers chairman Mark Walter’s Cadillac F1 crew acquired approval to affix the grid in 2026. The corporate that bankrolls GM’s most costly racing venture in all probability cares little concerning the marginal worth of the Dodgers’ left fielder.
With all that mentioned, there are apparent causes for concern within the medium time period. Hernández solely walks at a mean charge and even in good years is among the many most strikeout-prone hitters within the league. He turned 32 in October, and his protection has already reached some extent the place he’d in all probability be DHing if he performed for many different groups. The Dodgers, as you in all probability know, are locked into costly full-time starters at each first base and DH, so that is as far down the defensive spectrum as Hernández can go with out altering groups.
A lot of the remainder of the Dodgers’ roster — Betts, Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman — was put along with an eye fixed towards flexibility. Even so, having three guys concreted into the three best defensive positions is a non-trivial encumbrance for supervisor Dave Roberts. It’s one he’ll tolerate as a result of the advantages of getting Ohtani on the crew are, effectively, substantial. Placing the very best participant on this planet on the prime of the batting order does cut back one’s thirst for different choices. However, I’d be fairly stunned if the Dodgers didn’t want they’d the flexibility to plonk another participant in left area sooner or later within the subsequent three seasons.
However these are poor individuals issues. The Dodgers are among the many only a few groups that may afford to make the plain transfer each time, in order that they don’t have to fret fairly as a lot about what occurs on the fringes. This masher who loves taking part in right here desires to come back again at principally the identical wage he made final yr? Yeah, let’s not overthink issues.
