The Dodgers are getting no less than a few of the outdated band again along with Tuesday’s reacquisition of Enrique Hernández. The 32-year-old super-utilityman returns (together with money concerns) through commerce with the Pink Sox in alternate for pitchers Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman. Hernández, who signed a one-year, $10 million pact with Boston through the offseason, is hitting a career-worst .222/.279/.320 (60 wRC+). The Pink Sox are choosing up roughly $2.5 million of the deal’s remaining cash to enhance their return, receiving a number of polished, back-of-the-40-man arms in Hagenman and Robertson.
This season is the second consecutive 12 months of declining offensive efficiency for Hernández, who has been a below-average hitter for many of the final 5 years. The decline is constant throughout quite a lot of statistical classes, and there are not any underlying indicators that may point out a bounce again or optimistic regression, however Hernández continues to be a succesful defender at second base and (most significantly on this case) in middle subject. A June damage to Trayce Thompson finally begat a deal for defensive specialist Jake Marisnick, whose latest hamstring damage once more left the Dodgers skinny in middle. James Outman, whose hit software has had a violent regression to the imply after a sizzling begin, has seen the lion’s share of reps in middle this 12 months, whereas Jason Heyward and rookie Jonny Deluca have every performed there a handful of occasions. All three are succesful middle subject defenders however none of them is nice, and you may make a coherent argument that Hernández is the perfect wholesome middle subject defender on the Dodgers 40-man proper now.
Hernández has had matches and begins of multi-positional obligation this 12 months. There have been stretches the place he’s deployed solely at shortstop for weeks at a time, whereas at different factors, he has transitioned from second or brief to middle subject (and vice versa) throughout the similar recreation. He’s not a plus defender at any of these positions, and actually I’d contemplate him under common at shortstop now, however his versatility will permit for supervisor Dave Roberts to extra freely play matchups along with his outfield platoon. It additionally permits Roberts to hit for light-hitting beginning shortstop Miguel Rojas in essential spots, as now both Hernández or Chris Taylor can slide in on the place after Roberts pulls that offense-minded lever.
Hernández is probably going final within the righty-hitting pecking order on the energetic roster, however he’s going to assist guarantee the opposite hitters are deployed in matchups that go well with their expertise, he’ll play high-effort protection and make some heady, spectacular performs, and he’ll carry a melange of his typical clubhouse presence minimize with nostalgic familiarity.
The brand new Pink Sox pitchers are each massive league-ready, lower-impact arms. Hernández has been a below-replacement performer, so to get something again for him required consuming a bit of his remaining deal, and on this case, the Pink Sox get depth on the perimeter of their 40-man roster. Twenty-five-year-old righty Nick Robertson was a 2019 seventh rounder out of James Madison and was developed as a pure reduction prospect. Though he and the Dodgers had hassle discovering a persistently good breaking ball, Robertson coasted via the minors and made his massive league debut in June; he ought to settle in as a fastball/changeup up/down reliever. He joins a large contingent of optionable pitching on Boston’s 40-man.
The soon-to-be-27-year-old Hagenman has been one of many higher few dozen strike throwers within the minors the final three seasons, throughout which he’s walked simply 6.8% of batters throughout 180 innings. A 3-year starter at Penn State, the previous twenty third rounder has been developed in an extended reduction function as a professional, and he posted a sub-3.00 ERA and 5-to-1 strikeout to stroll ratio throughout 55 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis earlier than the commerce. Hagenman sits 91-94 with sink (however a flat method angle) and depends on his secondary pitch high quality and execution to get by. His mid-80s changeup (normally 86-87 mph) has massive fade and is Hagenman’s nastiest pure pitch by way of motion, however his command of his 45-grade slider makes that pitch his most constant weapon, and the one which performs the perfect from a bat-missing perspective. He’s a wonderfully good upper-level lengthy reliever who’d throw strikes if he needed to get six massive league outs tomorrow, however on stuff, Hagenman appears to be like like a fringe 40-man arm.
