Cody Snavely
The Teoscar Hernández saga continues this offseason, with yet another report peeling back the curtain on the lengthy contract negotiations with the 32-year-old outfielder.
According to Major League Baseball insider, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in deep negotiations with Teoscar Hernández on a reunion but are at an impasse, and the team is starting to explore alternatives in the trade and free agent market.
That said, Rosenthal states that according to his sources briefed on the Dodgers’ discussions, the following players are potential fallback options if they’re unable to re-sign Hernández: free agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim, Chicago Cubs Outfielder Seiya Suzuki, and Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
However, it is still unclear as to how serious the Dodgers are at this point in time with looking at alternative options rather than just retaining Teoscar Hernández on a multi-year deal.
Rosenthal also shed light on the fact that Hernández’s camp is seeking a three-year deal between $66 and $72 million, which was also reported last week by fellow Major League Baseball insider Mark Feinsand.
However, the issue between the Dodgers and Teoscar isn’t the years but rather the money.
In their inquiries on other players, the Dodgers might simply be weighing the acquisition costs against the price of retaining Hernández, who repeatedly has said he wants to return.
The dollar difference is different based on a variety of reports. On the most recent episode of Dodger Talk, Dodgers insider David Vassegh stated the hold-up could be the deferrals the Dodgers are offering, as there are some reports floating around that Hernández does not want any deferred payments despite taking $8.5 million deferred from 2030 to 2039 on his recent 1-year, $23.5 million deal last winter.
However, a source close to me who is involved with people in the Dodgers’ front office has stated that the overall difference is anywhere between $5 and $10 million.
Regarding the aforementioned names, Kim is intriguing as he would not be a quote-on-quote replacement for Teoscar Hernández. Kim, 29, would provide the Dodgers with infield flexibility, having the ability to play third base, shortstop, and second base. However, he will miss a decent chunk of the season after last season’s shoulder surgery.
Although, as mentioned by Rosenthal, the “cleaner” way to replace Hernández would be with an outfielder, which explains the talk of Suzuki and Robert Jr.
Suzuki, 30, is owed $36 million over the next two seasons and holds a full no-trade clause. However, with the Cubs recently shipping out Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees this past week, they may very well retain him.
Robert, 27, is owed $15 million for the 2025 season with a $20 million club option in both 2026 and 2027 and, unlike Suzuki, lacks a full no-trade clause. While the Dodgers showed interest last season before the 2024 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline, the White Sox’s asking price was too much for Andrew Freidman and the Dodgers.
Switching gears back to Teoscar, the market he and his agent craved has not and likely will never come to fruition.
After Juano Soto inked his massive 15-year, $765 million deal before the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, they expected a bidding war for his services. However, those teams involved in the Soto sweepstakes pivoted to other options.
The Boston Red Sox, while showing high interest in back-to-back offseasons, will not want to lose a draft pick. The Toronto Blue Jays would like a reunion, but it seems they’re on the cusp of a rebuild, which would turn off Hernández.
In conclusion, this report tells me and others around the league that the Dodgers, while hoping for a reunion with Teo, will not wait around all winter as they look to finalize their roster for the 2025 season.
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