Cody Snavely
Happy Holidays, Dodgers fans! What better way to get in the holiday spirit as we move along during the 2025 Major League Baseball offseason than to create a wish list for the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Despite striking early and bringing in top left-handed pitcher Blake Snell, veteran left-handed hitting outfielder Michael Conforto, and re-signing right-handed relief pitcher Blake Treinen, the Dodgers have been somewhat quiet the last few weeks.
However, after the Holidays and entering the New Year, it is likely the Dodgers and teams around the league will pounce on the remaining talent in the trade and free agent market, as before we know it, pitchers and catchers will be reporting to clubs’ facilities in February.
That said, what is on my wish list for Santa this Christmas season?
Re-Sign Teoscar Hernández Already
One name that is shockingly still unsigned is right-handed slugger Teoscar Hernández, who has stated Nemours times throughout the last several months that he’d like to return to Los Angeles.
Hernández, 32, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, hitting .272/.339/.501, .840 OPS, 137 OPS+ while smacking a career-high thirty-three home runs and driving in ninety-nine runs. Hernández also made his second career all-star game, won the 2024 Home Run Derby, and ended the season a champion.
Hernández also played a pivotal role in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series run, hitting .250 with three home runs and twelve runs driven in, including the game-tying double in game five of the World Series against New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
Due to this success, the Dodgers offered Hernández the 1-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer, which he declined back in November. As Major League Baseball insider Ken Rosenthal reported this past week, he is looking for a multi-year deal worth between $66 and $72 million.
However, despite both sides wanting a reunion, it appears talks have hit a stalemate. While the issue isn’t years on the contract per se, it is actually the amount of money involved, with multiple reports saying it is a difference between $5 and $10 million.
Hernández’s market has not materialized as he or his agent would have liked, even after the mega deal that Juan Soto got with those teams who lost the Soto sweepstakes and are looking to upgrade their teams in other areas.
By all accounts, it seems that despite the Dodgers’ impasse with Hernández, they still likely have the highest or best offer on the table and will not get into a bidding war with themselves. But can both sides just do the fanbase a solid and come to an agreement sooner rather than later?
However, despite the value Hernández brought to the Dodgers last season, they should not be dumb and cave into his demands. They should stay in the range of a 3-year, $72 million deal, which would be $24 million a year, a fair offer for his services based on his age and history of player decline at this stage in his career.
Solidify Infield Depth with Ha-Seong Kim
According to Major League Baseball insider Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, the Dodgers are considering alternative options if they cannot re-sign Teoscar Hernández. Utility infielder Ha-Seong Kim was among those names.
Kim, 29, is currently a free agent after spending the previous four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers National League West rival, the San Diego Padres.
In his four-year MLB career, Kim has posted a line of .242/.326/.380 with forty-seven home runs, seventy-eight stolen bases, and 15.3 WAR in 540 games. While the offensive numbers might not look all that great, they are not where Kim brings the most value.
Kim is a plus defender and can play multiple infield positions, which is why, despite his low offensive output, a plethora of teams have shown interest in him this winter.
In three of his four seasons, he has ranked in the top ten in defensive WAR and has ranked in the top five in fielding percentage and range factor at those three positions. Due to these efforts, Kim finally won the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award under the utility position.
However, Kim is coming off shoulder surgery, and MLB Trade Rumors estimates that he will get a 1-year, $12 million deal, which would be perfect for the Dodgers.
While Rosenthal states Kim is considered an alternative to Hernández, I’d argue they could and should get both players.
Kim’s infield flexibility allows you to plug and play him all over the infield, whether at second base, shortstop, or even third base. This is incredibly impactful as both Max Muncy and Mookie Betts missed extensive time last season with injuries and are entering their mid-thirties.
Kim could take on the role that Kiké Hernández held the last two seasons but provide a more consistent offensive impact during the regular season.
The Dodgers are yet again taking a gamble by making Mookie Betts the full-time shortstop for the 2025 season. If that plan fails, they’d have a great option with Kim rather than handing the keys over to 35-year-old Miguel Rojas.
Rosenthal’s report is the first instance that the Dodgers have been linked with Kim. Still, multiple Major League Baseball personalities have suggested the match because the Dodgers covet Kim’s player profile.
Sign One More Impact Starter (Rōki Sasaki)
The loss of Dodgers legend Walker Buehler hurts for a few reasons. The glaring one is that now the Dodgers have to replace him in some capacity.
On paper, the Dodgers rotation is deep. As mentioned earlier, they already signed lefty Blake Snell to a massive 5-year, $182 million deal. They’ll have Shohei Ohtani return to two-way player status. Tyler Glasnow avoided elbow surgery and should be ready for Opening Day. And Yoshinobu Yamamoto looks healthy after a dominant October.
They’ll have righties Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, who are both ready to return, along with Bobby Miller, waiting in the wings if needed. And they’ll eventually re-sign veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw later this offseason.
However, if you’ve watched Dodgers baseball over the last three years, you’ll understand that you cannot have “too much” pitching, and Andrew Friedman and Co. understand that more than anyone.
The Dodgers will not want to get into the same predicament that they faced this October: only having three viable starters and heavily relying on their bullpen. While it worked this time around, it is not a recipe for sustained success in October.
Regarding Sasaki, the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers are the two overwhelming favorites for acquiring a 23-year-old Japanese starter.
With Sasaki officially posted at the 2024 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings earlier this month, Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Freidman stated the righty would be a “major priority” this winter, which confirms all reported interest.
Adding one more solid starter will give the Dodgers much-needed starting rotation depth and make their planned six-man rotation more plausible.
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