Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers massive offseason spending spree continues as they have signed right-handed outfielder Teoscar Hernández to a 1-year $23.5 million deal.
The deal comes just hours after President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman spoke on MLB Network Radio, stating the Dodgers were looking for an impact RHB that hits left-handed pitchers and can hold their own against righties.
Breaking down the contract
While the contract is just one year, the Dodgers have yet again gone with a deferred contract. The contract, signed as mentioned for $23.5 million, will have $8.5 million deferred from 2030 to 2039. This brings the contract to a current day value of 1-year $15 million. The 2023 MLB qualifying offer was $20.5 million, so the Dodgers got Hernández under that value.
However, the biggest positive of the contract is that it is only one year. Hernández, who the Dodgers were interested in as early as November during the GM meetings, was rumored to have multi-year offers from multiple clubs, including the Boston Red Sox. While the Dodgers expect Hernández to be an excellent pick-up, there is no commitment past the 2024 season if he does not pan out.
Besides the deferrals, there are also incentives that can reward Hernández additional money:
- $1 million if he wins Silver Slugger
- $500k if he finishes 11th-15th in MVP voting
- $2 million if he finishes 6th-10th in MVP voting
- $3 million if he finishes 1st-5th in MVP voting
What value does Hernández bring?
The current construction of the Dodgers lineup is left-handed heavy. With the likely departure of J.D. Martinez, the Dodgers lack a right-handed power bat. While the team still has Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, and internal options such as Andy Pages, the team was looking for an external source to provide power from the right side.
2023 was a down year for Hernández. However, he still had a slash line of .258/.305/.435 with an OPS of .741 and an OPS+ of 106. However, many numbers could be attributed to the pitching-friendly T-Mobile park. Still, the Dodgers brought Hernández in because of his numbers against left-handed pitchers. In his career, Hernández has a slash line of .275/.329/.557 with an OPS of .887 and OPS+ of 119. Since 2021, Hernández’s offensive numbers have primarily declined due to his chase rate, which was ranked in the 13th percentile on Baseball Savant.
However, one of the more undervalued components that Hernández brings to the team is the ability to play regularly. While Hernández has hit well against LHP, he is also elite versus righties, which led him to start 160 games last season. As the roster stands, it is safe to pencil Hernández as the everyday left fielder. While Hernández is not known as a defensive guru, he is more than a serviceable body in a corner position.
Are the Dodgers done?
The Dodgers have had an offseason for the ages, committing over $1.2 billion to eight players. However, with the team inching closer to that $300 million mark, they may be hesitant to go any further. Today, the Dodgers luxury tax payroll sits at $299 million. The Dodgers have two options: stand pat or continue the spending spree.
The Dodgers have been heavily linked on the closer/bullpen market with names such as Josh Hader and Emmanuel Clase. Bringing in either of these names will certainly put them over that $300 million mark unless the Dodgers offload another contract, such as Chris Taylor ($26 million over two years) or Manuel Margot ($6 million).
Another topic to watch is who the corresponding roster move will be to make room for Teoscar Hernández. The Dodgers’ 40-man roster is full, and I imagine Andrew Friedman and company would like to get some value back for whoever will bite the bullet.
Conclusion
The Dodgers will undoubtedly be involved in a variety of moves to not only make space for Teoscar Hernández and put the finishing touches on their 2024 roster. The Teoscar Hernández signing gives them a productive right-handed bat that can counter even the best lefties in the game. However, it also gives them flexibility in the future payroll as they do not have any commitment after the 2024 season. Overall, I love the move for the Dodgers and look forward to what is next this winter.
