The Los Angeles Dodgers lastly bought their fan favourite outfielder again, however it got here on the expense of Teoscar Hernández leaving cash on the desk.
Hernández had spent over half a decade with the Toronto Blue Jays when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners earlier than the 2023 season, his last 12 months of arbitration eligibility. After a down season, he was on the lookout for a multi-year deal and doubtlessly a brand new house.
Hernández additionally needed to discover a workforce the place he couldn’t solely reinvent himself and as soon as once more present the baseball world of his expertise, but in addition play significant postseason baseball.
Though his agent Rafa Nieves stated on X that the unique plan was a three-year deal, Nieves noticed that “that deal won’t exist” within the present market earlier than the beginning of the 2024 marketing campaign.
The agent requested the 31-year-old outfielder what his priorities have been if he did in reality take a short-term deal, and “he stated he needed to win and play deep into October, so we pivoted and centered on getting the perfect brief time period deal on the perfect workforce .”
Los Angeles actually checked off these bins after which some, all whereas Hernández put up profession numbers.
Hernández completed the 2024 marketing campaign with a brand new career-high in house runs (33) and wins above alternative (4.3). He additionally received his first profession Residence Run Derby, whereas changing into the primary Dodger in historical past to earn the crown. Lastly, and maybe most significantly, he performed deep into October and received his first World Collection trophy.
Though the last word objective was completed, this season was about a lot greater than merely including worth to his subsequent contract. Thus, coming into this offseason, Hernández wasn’t nervous concerning the cash.
“I used to be going to do all the things in my energy to come back again,” Hernández stated Friday in his re-introductory press convention. “For me, cash wasn’t a problem… I might’ve gotten $5 or $6 extra (million) from different groups, however when you put me in a spot the place I needed to determine, I might determine to come back again due to the way in which this group is. The way in which this group treats household and the gamers, and that for me is extra vital than something.”
Hernández has made his loyalty very clear and continues to behave on his convictions set from the 2023 offseason: To win, and to win in October.
With the Dodgers already making reinforcements to a championship workforce like bringing in Cy Younger profitable pitcher Blake Snell, it appears as if one other deep October run is extra anticipated than ever.
Picture Credit score: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Photos
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