The Dodgers and utilityman Enrique Hernandez are in settlement on a deal, in response to a report from Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The deal is pending a bodily, and Hernandez himself introduced the information on social media.
In keeping with USA As we speak’s Bob Nightengale, it’s a one-year huge league deal for the veteran. Monetary phrases haven’t but been disclosed. The Dodgers have a full 40-man roster however will be capable of start using the 60-day injured record when pitchers and catchers formally report back to camp for the membership Monday, that means they will merely place an injured participant reminiscent of Gavin Stone or River Ryan on the 60-day IL to open a roster spot fairly than designating a participant for project.
Hernandez, 33, returns to Los Angeles for a ninth season in Dodger blue. The veteran utility man acquired his begin as a sixth-round choose by the Astros again in 2009 and debuted with the membership in 2014, however was traded to the Marlins midseason earlier than being flipped to L.A. previous to the 2015 season.
Hernandez shortly turned an instrumental a part of the Dodgers’ roster. His versatility has allowed him to seem at each place on the diamond apart from catcher in a Dodgers uniform, and his first six-season stint with the membership noticed him hit a good .240/.312/.425 (98 wRC+) from 2015 to 2020. That features a superb 122 wRC+ towards southpaws, and Hernandez was a daily fixture within the membership’s lineup towards left-handed pitching all through his first stint in California.
Hernandez’s first foray into free company following the Dodgers’ 2020 World Collection championship led him to signal with the Purple Sox on a two-year, $14M deal earlier than he was prolonged for a further yr and $10M. Hernandez truly had the very best season of his profession in Boston through the 2021 marketing campaign, when he slashed .250/.337/.449 (109 wRC+) whereas splitting time between heart subject and second base for the Purple Sox en path to a marketing campaign price 3.7 fWAR and 5.0 bWAR.
Hernandez struggled badly for the membership after that first sensible yr, nevertheless, and hit simply .222/.286/.330 (68 wRC+) over his closing yr and a half in a Purple Sox uniform.
That led to a commerce again to the Dodgers, with whom he’s began to look as soon as once more like a extra viable bench bat. His general slash line of .240/.289/.389 (87 wRC+) since rejoining the Dodgers on the 2023 commerce deadline remains to be beneath common, and since returning to Los Angeles he’s truly performed as a kind of split-neutral hitter after for years hitting a lot better towards southpaws.
With that being mentioned, he stays as versatile as ever within the subject. He’s additionally had a historical past of being a high quality postseason contributor, with a .278/.353/.522 profession slash line within the playoffs. These postseason heroics haven’t disappeared at the same time as the remainder of his recreation has taken a step backwards lately, and Hernandez slashed .294/.357/.451 in 14 postseason video games for the Dodgers throughout their World Collection championship run final yr.
Hernandez’s mixture of versatility, postseason monitor file, and standing as a fan favourite and beloved clubhouse presence had been sufficient to persuade the Dodgers to deliver him again into the fold for a ninth season regardless of an already very crowded mixture of place gamers.
As issues stand, Hernandez seems to suit finest as a right-handed complement to lefty-swinging infielders Hyeseong Kim and Max Muncy, although that very same function additionally applies to veteran infielder Miguel Rojas, who is usually considered a superior defender to Hernandez on the grime. Maybe Hernandez may again up Tommy Edman in heart subject and function a right-handed complement to Michael Conforto within the outfield, although fellow utility veteran Chris Taylor and outfield teen Andy Pages each determine to compete for the same function this spring as properly.
Nevertheless Hernandez finally finally ends up becoming into the membership’s day-to-day plans, his return may go away Pages and James Outman on the skin searching for the Dodgers’ roster, set to a minimum of begin the 2025 season in Triple-A barring a shock determination to half methods with Taylor, Rojas, or one other extra established participant.
