Cody Snavely
It was reported yesterday afternoon that the Dodgers were looking into a reunion with former fan favorite utility man Kiké Hernández as his current place on the Red Sox roster was in flux, with Trevor Story set to be activated soon. Those rumors turned out to be accurate as the Dodgers re-acquired Hernández. Kiké is batting .222 with an OPS+ at 61, OPS at .599, and a negative WAR at – 0.7.
Why it happened
At face value, the trade for Kiké seems a little out of place as Kiké Hernández is not exactly having a great year, and statistically, he’s having the worst year of his career. However, Dave Roberts mentioned a few weeks bat that the Dodgers would like to add another right-handed bat, preferably in the outfield, to platoon with Heyward and Peralta. The Dodgers did sign Jake Marisnick to a Major League deal after the Tigers released him, but after just two games, he tore his hamstring and will be out for “weeks.”
The Dodgers’ current options at the moment are Chris Taylor, who has had a lingering knee issue, Jonny DeLuca and Yonny Hernández. Yonny Hernández will likely be optioned back down once Kiké is activated tomorrow. While Hernández has not had the best season, he is hitting better against LHP but not by much. Kiké Hernández has an OPS of .652 against lefties this season with 1 HR and 7 RBIs. If the Dodgers genuinely want to address their problems against LHP, then one would have to imagine Kiké Hernández will not be the last trade for an RHB.
Why I like the trade
I know many Dodgers fans will be angry that of all the hitters on the market, they decided to buy low on Kiké, a player that we saw have an up-and-down career in LA. However, Kiké was a core piece to the Dodgers’ championship run in 2020 and was a great utility player. One of the most significant issues the Dodgers have had since that season has been their bench, which is no longer as deep as it once was. A bench that consisted of Joc Pederson, Kiké Hernández, and Chris Taylor has been on a downward spiral since then.
While Kiké Hernández won’t blow you away, he will create stability by being that super-utility player that can help an injured Chris Taylor and the rest of the platoon players, such as Miguel Rojas, James Outman, Jason Heyward, and David Peralta. We have said it a lot on this page and the Bleed Los Podcast, but the Dodgers do not need to “win” the deadline. They need to make it to the dance, and anything can happen.
While Kiké Hernández has left much to be desired, the Red Sox also sent along cash which is the icing on the cake. As mentioned, it is another example of buying low this trade deadline. The Dodgers gave up two AAA pitchers, Nick Robertson and Justin Hageman, who had no spot on the team.
