Cody Snavely
According to Jeff Passan from ESPN, the Los Angeles Dodgers have extended the $21.05 million Qualifying Offer to left fielder Teoscar Hernández.
Hernández signed a one-year $23.5 million deal last winter, which also included $8.5 million deferred from 2030 to 2039, bringing the contract to a current day value of 1-year $15 million.
After struggling in Seattle at notorious pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park, Hernández took a one-year prove-it deal despite having a multi-year offer from the Boston Red Sox. And prove himself he shall.
The 2024 season was one of the best years of his nine-year career. Hernández had a .272/.339/.501 slash line, a .840 OPS, and a 134 wRC+ while also hitting a career-high in home runs with thirty-three and driving in ninety-nine runs for Los Angeles.
His excellent play in the first half of the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season earned him a starting spot in the mid-summer classic, his second career all-star nod. He also participated in the home run derby, becoming the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to win the event.
When it came to October, Hernández was an invaluable part of the Dodgers’ dominant offense, hitting .250/.352/.417 with critical home runs in game five of the National League Division Series to push the Dodgers’ lead further off San Diego Padres veteran right-handed starter Yu Darvish and a game-tying two-out double off Gerrit Cole in game five of the World Series.
Teoscar Hernández has shown his willingness to stay in the Dodgers organization, mentioning multiple times throughout the regular season, postseason, World Series, and the most recent parade through the city of Los Angeles that his desire and number one goal this winter is to stay.
However, Hernández and his agent, Rafa Nieves, will do their due diligence and seek the original three-year deal they sought last offseason before settling with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ one-year offer.
In his short time with the Dodgers, Hernández has become a fan favorite, and while he may be on the “wrong” side of thirty too many baseball heads running these teams, he has done more than plenty to get the deal he wants and has earned his right to return in Dodger Blue for the foreseeable future.
Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes are also doing their due diligence in extending the qualifying offer to Hernández as if he were to sign elsewhere, the Dodgers would receive a draft pick.
Hernández has until November 19th to accept or decline the offer. If he accepts, he’d return to Los Angeles on a one-year $21.05 deal. If he rejects, he’d become an unrestricted free agent free to hit the open market.
The Los Angeles Dodgers also had the opportunity to extend right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler the qualifying offer but opted not to, likely offering a one- to two-year deal with many incentives.
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