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Post by Blunashun on Nov 1, 2024 15:03:29 GMT
What's next for Dodgers? What World Series champs need to address in offseason as they try to repeat
Trophy in hand, the Dodgers' focus now shifts to becoming MLB's first repeat champion in a quarter-century
By Dayn Perry
12 mins ago
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4 min read
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the freshly minted world champions for the eighth time in franchise history. That's another way of saying they were the only team in Major League Baseball this season to achieve their ultimate goal. The Dodgers on Wednesday mounted a furious comeback, one aided by a conga line of Yankee miscues, and took the Fall Classic in five games. As result, the Dodgers and their star-stuffed roster have the World Series for the first time in a full season since 1988.
Now the focus shifts to whether the Dodgers in 2025 can become the first team since the Yankees of 1999 and 2000 to repeat as World Series champions.
Dave Roberts' club during the regular season won 98 games and prevailed in a tough National League West to claim their 12th straight postseason berth. That, though, was merely the first step. Anything short of hoisting the World Series trophy would be tantamount to failure.
That's because of the Dodgers' unprecedented offseason of 2023-24 that built upon a team that won 100 games in 2023. That offseason work involved committing $700 million (of heavily deferred money) to superduperstar Shohei Ohtani. That same month, they committed more than $300 million to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the most coveted starting pitcher on the market, and dealt for another ace-caliber starter, Tyler Glasnow, then of the Rays. They also inked slugging outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Fast forward to the trade deadline, and the Dodgers in advance of it added Jack Flaherty (the most in-demand rotation arm who was traded), reliever Michael Kopech, and super-utility guy Tommy Edman. All those moves were of course in addition to incumbent stars like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and others.
For a time it seemed that rotation injuries would waylay the Dodgers' October hopes. Instead, Roberts navigated three series triumphs with three healthy starting pitchers and a heavily worked bullpen. Coming into the season, the Dodgers boasted starting-pitcher depth that on paper would be the envy of every other organization, but those Dodger starters couldn't stay healthy.
Nothing makes the point more acutely than how many starters the Dodgers had on the injured list for these playoffs. That would be seven starting pitchers: Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan. Straits were such that Roberts, in the face of all that on-paper rotation depth, was forced to conduct four bullpen games during the Dodgers' run to the belt and title. Overcoming the loss of all those battered starting pitchers is the leading subplot of the Dodgers' championship run, and it's a reminder that October, in a sport like baseball, is built to defy expectations, even when the best team in baseball winds up winning it all.
And that brings us to 2025. You can squint and see the Dodgers' window, at least the one held open by their current core, closing at some point in the near-ish future. Betts, Freeman, Ohtani, Glasnow, Max Muncy, and Will Smith will all be age 30 or older next season. That said, the Dodgers should again be among the best teams in MLB next season and should again have realistic designs on a World Series championship.
Most notably, Ohtani barring the unexpected will resume pitching after his recovery from elbow surgery and be a fixture in the rotation (in addition to, you know, being one of the most productive hitters in baseball). Other core contributors like Betts, Freeman, Yamamoto, Smith, Glasnow, Muncy, and Edman are under contract through at least next season. The Dodgers do have some notable pending free agents like Hernández, Flaherty, and Walker Buehler. Suffice it to say, the club has the resources and willingness to bring them back or find suitable proxies on the market.
The Dodgers are already "pot-committed" to contention in 2025 and well beyond – Ohtani's pact tells you that much – and the expectation is that lead decision-maker Andrew Friedman will continue to buttress and even improve the roster with offseason additions. Are the Juan Soto rumors worth acknowledging? The expectation is that Soto, this winter's most coveted free agent, remains in the Bronx or makes the crosstown leap to the Mets, but the Dodgers, as full-bore as ever, can make a run at him if they choose to. Maybe instead they pile on more rotation depth by pursuing Corbin Burnes, the top starting pitcher on the market, or going after Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki if he makes the jump to MLB. Free-agent shortstop Willy Adames also likely will be on L.A.'s radar. Given the likelihood of another round of splash moves and the Dodgers' deeply impressive returning core, they'll enter the 2025 season as an early World Series favorite.
Predicting a World Series outcome for 2025, this far out and with the coils of the hot stove barely starting to warm, is a fool's errand. Safe, though, is the assumption that the Dodgers, baseball's modern juggernaut, will once again have strong designs on winning it all and, this time around, of giving baseball its first repeat champion of the current century.
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 1, 2024 15:07:45 GMT
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jrgreene6
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Married . . . With Cats
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Post by jrgreene6 on Nov 1, 2024 20:17:16 GMT
I’d start with the strength and conditioning coaches and trainers for the pitching staff.
There’s something funky going on there. No other team in the league had more pitchers go down for the count than the Dodgers.
They didn’t have a single starter in the rotation that wasn’t on the IL for at least part of the 2024 season.
Not to mention the re-injuries of May, Buehler, Miller and, as normally expected Kershaw.
I know a good deal of them have to do with the expectation of throwing nothing less than high 90’s / low 100’s mph fastballs.
But there are certainly OTHER ways to get guys out. Kershaw, when healthy has a curve that is absolutely unhittable.
Buehler showed some nastiness of his own in October.
Perhaps the rotation should ALL take a cue from these guys and leave the fireballs to the pen and / or closers.
Other than 1B, the entire infield could and should be improved.
Re-sign Oscar to another year or two, but don’t break the bank on him like they did for .100 hitting Taylor. Maybe give Kiké another year along with Adman, but again, not get too carried away with those deals.
Soto is looking for an Ohtani sized deal - I wouldn’t do it if it was me, but it’s not my money and if LA thinks they can swing it, he’d certainly make the lineup even more formidable than it already is.
And on a final note / idea, for the love of God PLEASE find a better backup for Smith than Barnes.
Dude has little to offer at the plate and I don’t think he threw out a single baserunner trying to steal.
GO DODGERS!!!
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 1, 2024 21:33:13 GMT
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20DodgerMiracle24
Legend
Rob Manfred is a disaster to our national pastime.
Posts: 1,768
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Post by 20DodgerMiracle24 on Nov 2, 2024 2:26:37 GMT
That's the way football coaches are and I know firsthand. My high school coach would shout like a Marine Corps drill instructor if you dogged it or you kept hitting after the whistle was blown. But coaches in all sports need to be like that.
Temps were ALWAYS in the 90’s and humidity even higher. We got an hour off for lunch in between three hour sessions.
Not a day passed when our coach wasn’t grabbing one of us by the face mask and spitting obscenities in our faces.
One of his favourite drills was “bull in the ring” where the entire offense or defense would get in a circle with one player in the middle with the ball. He’d then call out a name and that player would rush & hit the one in the middle as fast and hard as he could. My nemesis was Terry Hendricks, aka Tata Head, a HUGE black dude who was already shaving his head in high school. EVERY time I was in the middle, I KNEW coach was going to call “Tata” and it was like getting hit by a semi. Now they practice in the A/C gym and there’s no yelling, no cursing and certainly no face mask grabbing. GO DODGERS!!! I also remember that well. It was a mix of enthusiasm, anticipating the upcoming season, and dread, dragging ourselves out of bed to be at the school by I think 6:30 or 7. It was also twoadays, but we called it Hellweek. It was of course conditioning and drills. But it could be a royal pain cos CIF (California interscholastic Federation) had regulations. My first year, it was reasonable enough: no footballs allowed that week. The second, no signals could be called. The third, which never made sense, was no numbered jersies. And we'd run and do calis till about 10, then we could have a 3 hour break, so many of us went off campus for lunch, then we went back at it till about 2PM. And it wasn't high humidity, it was smog. One day the during a 3rd stage smog alert (no surprise there, cos Glendora and neighboring Azusa, at least for a year, were the 2 smoggiest cities in the USA and smog alerts were common), we coughed and couldn't quench our thirsts. And an assistant coach, who had to be 402# easily, said, "smog alerts are only in your mind". What an ass! But overall, morale was high that week, and the next week, we got our pads and helmets. If I remember right, it was a morning session, then we'd get our playbooks and the coaches would draw diagragms on the board and it would be Q and A time. The following week, school started, and after the second week, our first game. |
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20DodgerMiracle24
Legend
Rob Manfred is a disaster to our national pastime.
Posts: 1,768
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Post by 20DodgerMiracle24 on Nov 2, 2024 2:33:22 GMT
I’d start with the strength and conditioning coaches and trainers for the pitching staff. There’s something funky going on there. No other team in the league had more pitchers go down for the count than the Dodgers. They didn’t have a single starter in the rotation that wasn’t on the IL for at least part of the 2024 season. Not to mention the re-injuries of May, Buehler, Miller and, as normally expected Kershaw. I know a good deal of them have to do with the expectation of throwing nothing less than high 90’s / low 100’s mph fastballs. But there are certainly OTHER ways to get guys out. Kershaw, when healthy has a curve that is absolutely unhittable. Buehler showed some nastiness of his own in October. Perhaps the rotation should ALL take a cue from these guys and leave the fireballs to the pen and / or closers. Other than 1B, the entire infield could and should be improved. Re-sign Oscar to another year or two, but don’t break the bank on him like they did for .100 hitting Taylor. Maybe give Kiké another year along with Adman, but again, not get too carried away with those deals. Soto is looking for an Ohtani sized deal - I wouldn’t do it if it was me, but it’s not my money and if LA thinks they can swing it, he’d certainly make the lineup even more formidable than it already is. And on a final note / idea, for the love of God PLEASE find a better backup for Smith than Barnes. Dude has little to offer at the plate and I don’t think he threw out a single baserunner trying to steal. GO DODGERS!!! Dodgers have a wide range of options for filling out the rotation next year. Gonsolin, May, Sheehan and Nick Frasso will all be healthy by March, and at least one of them should step up. At least one other could be in the pen, now that Danny Hudson has retired. And of course, Kersh, at least for part of the season, so he can reach the 3000 K milestone. But I say NO on signing Sasaki. Let the Monks have him. I don't see that importing any starting pitchers is necessary. The team has too many imports as it is. But Stoneman and Riverman will be out all season. It will work itself out. |
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 2, 2024 4:01:31 GMT
We used to do “twoadays” in the brutal summer of August here in Cincy before the school year and actual season started in September.
Temps were ALWAYS in the 90’s and humidity even higher. We got an hour off for lunch in between three hour sessions.
Not a day passed when our coach wasn’t grabbing one of us by the face mask and spitting obscenities in our faces.
One of his favourite drills was “bull in the ring” where the entire offense or defense would get in a circle with one player in the middle with the ball. He’d then call out a name and that player would rush & hit the one in the middle as fast and hard as he could. My nemesis was Terry Hendricks, aka Tata Head, a HUGE black dude who was already shaving his head in high school. EVERY time I was in the middle, I KNEW coach was going to call “Tata” and it was like getting hit by a semi. Now they practice in the A/C gym and there’s no yelling, no cursing and certainly no face mask grabbing. GO DODGERS!!! I also remember that well. It was a mix of enthusiasm, anticipating the upcoming season, and dread, dragging ourselves out of bed to be at the school by I think 6:30 or 7. It was also twoadays, but we called it Hellweek. It was of course conditioning and drills. But it could be a royal pain cos CIF (California interscholastic Federation) had regulations. My first year, it was reasonable enough: no footballs allowed that week. The second, no signals could be called. The third, which never made sense, was no numbered jersies. And we'd run and do calis till about 10, then we could have a 3 hour break, so many of us went off campus for lunch, then we went back at it till about 2PM. And it wasn't high humidity, it was smog. One day the during a 3rd stage smog alert (no surprise there, cos Glendora and neighboring Azusa, at least for a year, were the 2 smoggiest cities in the USA and smog alerts were common), we coughed and couldn't quench our thirsts. And an assistant coach, who had to be 402# easily, said, "smog alerts are only in your mind". What an ass! But overall, morale was high that week, and the next week, we got our pads and helmets. If I remember right, it was a morning session, then we'd get our playbooks and the coaches would draw diagragms on the board and it would be Q and A time. The following week, school started, and after the second week, our first game. Awww! Memories. Lungs hurting. Eyes burning. Not being able to see downtown LA unless it rained or was windy. Getting stuck behind a black smoke spewing bus. I'm feeling verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves... |
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 2, 2024 15:27:36 GMT
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Scheduled for surgery
Rotowire 18 hrs ago
Kershaw said Friday that he will undergo surgery on his toe and left knee Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Kershaw's season was put to an early end in late August due to bone spurs in his left big toe, and his toe surgery Wednesday will address the issue as well as a ruptured plantar plate. He has also been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee, which will require an additional procedure. A timeline for his return likely won't be available until after the operations, though the veteran lefty confidently said Friday that he will pitch for the Dodgers in 2025.
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 2, 2024 15:28:06 GMT
Well. At least no arm issues.
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 2, 2024 15:32:56 GMT
World Series MVP Freddie Freeman was playing through multiple serious injuries, per report
The Dodgers' first baseman was dealing with more than just a lingering ankle injury
By Dayn Perry
Nov 1, 2024 at 9:09 am ET
•
2 min read
The Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night in the Bronx wrapped up the eighth World Series title in franchise history in large measure because of Freddie Freeman's unlikely production.
Across the Dodgers' five-game triumph over the New York Yankees, Freeman batted .300/.364/1.000 with four home runs, a triple, and 12 RBI. He also struck out only once for the entire series. Within those lofty numbers is Freeman's signature moment -- his walk-off grand slam in Game 1, the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
In Game 4, Freeman became the first player ever to homer in each of the first four games of a World Series. For his efforts, Freeman won World Series MVP honors, and it was one of the least surprising choices in the history of such things.
Above we used the word "unlikely" to describe Freeman's Fall Classic uprising. This is not because we're unaccustomed to seeing Freeman produce at a high level. Indeed, he's one of the most productive hitters of his generation, and he's probably headed for the Hall of Fame one day. Rather, his late October numbers were surprising because of his health. Freeman was badly limited in the NLDS and NLCS by a sprained right ankle. He was in less obvious discomfort during the World Series, but the injury was still apparent when he was running the bases. Unlike those first two series, however, Freeman's ankle didn't compromise his bat in the World Series.
Now we learn that Freeman's legendary five games against the Yankees are even more, well, legendary than we thought. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that Freeman, in addition to that ankle malady, was also dealing with a serious ribcage injury during the playoffs. Passan writes:
A day later, Oct. 4, after Freeman finished a news conference in which he declared himself ready to play despite the ankle injury, he retreated to the batting cage at Dodger Stadium. He wanted to take some swings in preparation for a live batting-practice session. His side tingled with each of his first dozen swings. On the 13th swing, Freeman felt a jolt through his body and crumbled to the ground.
Unable to even pick himself off the floor, Freeman was helped into the X-ray room next to Los Angeles' dugout. The results were inconclusive, and around 9:30 p.m., he received a call. The Dodgers wanted him to drive to Santa Monica for more imaging. He hopped in the car, then in an MRI tube. Around 11:30 p.m., the results arrived: Freeman had broken the costal cartilage in his sixth rib, an injury that typically sidelines players for months.
As Passan continues, Freeman persisted through the pain even though some close to him were urging him not to play. Eventually, Freeman's doggedness was rewarded with one of the most memorable performances of this or any October -- one he authored while standing on a bad ankle and swinging through a battered ribcage.
Unlikely indeed were his heroics, and without them the Dodgers probably wouldn't be what they are today -- World Series champions.
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 2, 2024 15:34:43 GMT
Who can't love that guy? The way he cried when talking about his son is the same way I feel about family.
I need a Freddie Freeman bobblehead.
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 2, 2024 15:42:13 GMT
Free agent Teoscar Hernández says he is 'going to do everything in my power' to remain with Dodgers
Hernández won the World Series in his first year with Los Angeles
By Mike Axisa
39 mins ago
•
2 min read
Friday afternoon the Dodgers held a championship parade through downtown Los Angeles for the first time since 1988. The Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, of course, though there was no parade due to pandemic restrictions. This year, the world champs got to celebrate with their fans for the first time in nearly 40 years.
During the parade, free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández said he wants to remain with the Dodgers next year, and would love to get a deal done as soon as possible. He did not sign with the Los Angeles until Jan. 7 last offseason. This year, Hernández wants to sign "hopefully tomorrow." Here's what he told The Athletic at the parade:
"My hopes are really high," Hernández said of re-signing. "Like I've said before, the Dodgers are the priority obviously. I'm going to do everything in my power to come back."
"Hopefully tomorrow," Hernández said. "I want us to be here. I want us to be part of this. I have so many good memories here. I've learned a lot as a player, as a person. It feels great to be part of this."
The Dodgers will need to add at least one outfielder this offseason. Right now they have the great Mookie Betts in right field, and their in-house options for left and center fields are James Outman, Andy Pages, and Chris Taylor. Juan Soto is the No. 1 free agent on the market, outfielder or otherwise. Short of signing Soto, re-upping Hernández would be a wise more for Los Angeles.
Hernández, 32, has the biggest blow in the Game 5 win that did not involve a Yankees player making a defensive mistake. He tied the game with a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to center field in the chaotic fifth inning. Hernández went 7 for 20 (.350) with a homer against the Yankees. He was the Dodgers' most productive player in the World Series behind MVP Freddie Freeman.
During the regular season Hernández slashed .272/.339/.501 with a career high 33 home runs, and was a middle of the lineup staple from Day 1. His outfield defense leaves something to be desired, though the Dodgers are in the best in the game at defensive positioning, and were able to mitigate Hernández's lack of range to some extent. A very productive player, he is.
Hernández's one-year contract with the Dodgers paid him $15 million in 2024 with another $8.5 million deferred out from 2030-39. It is likely the Dodgers will make him the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer, which would entitle them to draft pick compensation in the event Hernández signs elsewhere. Expect Hernández to decline the qualifying offer and seek a larger deal.
Over the last two years corner outfielders like Lourdes Gurriel, Mitch Haniger, and Jorge Soler signed three-year contracts in the $42 million range in their early 30s. Hernández has a longer track record than Gurriel, a cleaner injury history than Haniger, and is a better defender than Soler. He's put himself in line for multiple years at $20 million annually. That's not unreasonable.
Historically, pennant-winners re-sign their own free agents at a higher rate than other teams. The Dodgers are very smart and very well-run, they might simply thank Hernández for 2024 and move in another direction than commit to him into his mid-30s. He was a very good fit for them though, and he would fill a need moving forward too. A reunion makes sense.
We ranked Hernández as the 16th best free agent available this offseason, and the fourth best free agent outfielder behind Soto, Joc Pederson, and Anthony Santander.
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jrgreene6
Legend
Married . . . With Cats
Posts: 7,399
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Post by jrgreene6 on Nov 2, 2024 18:02:11 GMT
Who can't love that guy? The way he cried when talking about his son is the same way I feel about family. I need a Freddie Freeman bobblehead. Dude is a TRUE stud. I’m surprised he was even able to WALK after that ankle, having done the same thing myself to both ankles several times. But to continue to swing a bat with authority (unlike Shohei) and make the impact that he did at the plate with torn rib cartilage, he must be part cyborg. I can think of more than a few players that would have hung the cleats up after the ankle injury. He’s obviously a huge believer in family, dedicating his victory to his dad and in remembrance of his mom. He took as much time off as he could to be with his ailing son. And to top it all off, his wife is a FULL ON BABE!!! LOVE FF and am SO glad the Braves let him walk! GO DODGERS!!! |
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jrgreene6
Legend
Married . . . With Cats
Posts: 7,399
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Post by jrgreene6 on Nov 2, 2024 18:07:32 GMT
Free agent Teoscar Hernández says he is 'going to do everything in my power' to remain with Dodgers Hernández won the World Series in his first year with Los Angeles By Mike Axisa 39 mins ago • 2 min read Friday afternoon the Dodgers held a championship parade through downtown Los Angeles for the first time since 1988. The Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, of course, though there was no parade due to pandemic restrictions. This year, the world champs got to celebrate with their fans for the first time in nearly 40 years. During the parade, free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández said he wants to remain with the Dodgers next year, and would love to get a deal done as soon as possible. He did not sign with the Los Angeles until Jan. 7 last offseason. This year, Hernández wants to sign "hopefully tomorrow." Here's what he told The Athletic at the parade: "My hopes are really high," Hernández said of re-signing. "Like I've said before, the Dodgers are the priority obviously. I'm going to do everything in my power to come back."
"Hopefully tomorrow," Hernández said. "I want us to be here. I want us to be part of this. I have so many good memories here. I've learned a lot as a player, as a person. It feels great to be part of this."
The Dodgers will need to add at least one outfielder this offseason. Right now they have the great Mookie Betts in right field, and their in-house options for left and center fields are James Outman, Andy Pages, and Chris Taylor. Juan Soto is the No. 1 free agent on the market, outfielder or otherwise. Short of signing Soto, re-upping Hernández would be a wise more for Los Angeles. Hernández, 32, has the biggest blow in the Game 5 win that did not involve a Yankees player making a defensive mistake. He tied the game with a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to center field in the chaotic fifth inning. Hernández went 7 for 20 (.350) with a homer against the Yankees. He was the Dodgers' most productive player in the World Series behind MVP Freddie Freeman. During the regular season Hernández slashed .272/.339/.501 with a career high 33 home runs, and was a middle of the lineup staple from Day 1. His outfield defense leaves something to be desired, though the Dodgers are in the best in the game at defensive positioning, and were able to mitigate Hernández's lack of range to some extent. A very productive player, he is. Hernández's one-year contract with the Dodgers paid him $15 million in 2024 with another $8.5 million deferred out from 2030-39. It is likely the Dodgers will make him the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer, which would entitle them to draft pick compensation in the event Hernández signs elsewhere. Expect Hernández to decline the qualifying offer and seek a larger deal. Over the last two years corner outfielders like Lourdes Gurriel, Mitch Haniger, and Jorge Soler signed three-year contracts in the $42 million range in their early 30s. Hernández has a longer track record than Gurriel, a cleaner injury history than Haniger, and is a better defender than Soler. He's put himself in line for multiple years at $20 million annually. That's not unreasonable. Historically, pennant-winners re-sign their own free agents at a higher rate than other teams. The Dodgers are very smart and very well-run, they might simply thank Hernández for 2024 and move in another direction than commit to him into his mid-30s. He was a very good fit for them though, and he would fill a need moving forward too. A reunion makes sense. We ranked Hernández as the 16th best free agent available this offseason, and the fourth best free agent outfielder behind Soto, Joc Pederson, and Anthony Santander. He may be a defensive liability, but he certainly made the throw of a lifetime when he needed to. Maybe one or two other players in the league make a throw THAT perfect. My only surprise was that Smith didn’t drop it or get it knocked out of his glove. Barnes probably wouldn’t have even come close to catching it. GO DODGERS!!! |
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Post by Blunashun on Nov 2, 2024 18:59:28 GMT
Free agent Teoscar Hernández says he is 'going to do everything in my power' to remain with Dodgers Hernández won the World Series in his first year with Los Angeles By Mike Axisa 39 mins ago • 2 min read Friday afternoon the Dodgers held a championship parade through downtown Los Angeles for the first time since 1988. The Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, of course, though there was no parade due to pandemic restrictions. This year, the world champs got to celebrate with their fans for the first time in nearly 40 years. During the parade, free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández said he wants to remain with the Dodgers next year, and would love to get a deal done as soon as possible. He did not sign with the Los Angeles until Jan. 7 last offseason. This year, Hernández wants to sign "hopefully tomorrow." Here's what he told The Athletic at the parade: "My hopes are really high," Hernández said of re-signing. "Like I've said before, the Dodgers are the priority obviously. I'm going to do everything in my power to come back."
"Hopefully tomorrow," Hernández said. "I want us to be here. I want us to be part of this. I have so many good memories here. I've learned a lot as a player, as a person. It feels great to be part of this."
The Dodgers will need to add at least one outfielder this offseason. Right now they have the great Mookie Betts in right field, and their in-house options for left and center fields are James Outman, Andy Pages, and Chris Taylor. Juan Soto is the No. 1 free agent on the market, outfielder or otherwise. Short of signing Soto, re-upping Hernández would be a wise more for Los Angeles. Hernández, 32, has the biggest blow in the Game 5 win that did not involve a Yankees player making a defensive mistake. He tied the game with a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to center field in the chaotic fifth inning. Hernández went 7 for 20 (.350) with a homer against the Yankees. He was the Dodgers' most productive player in the World Series behind MVP Freddie Freeman. During the regular season Hernández slashed .272/.339/.501 with a career high 33 home runs, and was a middle of the lineup staple from Day 1. His outfield defense leaves something to be desired, though the Dodgers are in the best in the game at defensive positioning, and were able to mitigate Hernández's lack of range to some extent. A very productive player, he is. Hernández's one-year contract with the Dodgers paid him $15 million in 2024 with another $8.5 million deferred out from 2030-39. It is likely the Dodgers will make him the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer, which would entitle them to draft pick compensation in the event Hernández signs elsewhere. Expect Hernández to decline the qualifying offer and seek a larger deal. Over the last two years corner outfielders like Lourdes Gurriel, Mitch Haniger, and Jorge Soler signed three-year contracts in the $42 million range in their early 30s. Hernández has a longer track record than Gurriel, a cleaner injury history than Haniger, and is a better defender than Soler. He's put himself in line for multiple years at $20 million annually. That's not unreasonable. Historically, pennant-winners re-sign their own free agents at a higher rate than other teams. The Dodgers are very smart and very well-run, they might simply thank Hernández for 2024 and move in another direction than commit to him into his mid-30s. He was a very good fit for them though, and he would fill a need moving forward too. A reunion makes sense. We ranked Hernández as the 16th best free agent available this offseason, and the fourth best free agent outfielder behind Soto, Joc Pederson, and Anthony Santander. He may be a defensive liability, but he certainly made the throw of a lifetime when he needed to. Maybe one or two other players in the league make a throw THAT perfect. My only surprise was that Smith didn’t drop it or get it knocked out of his glove. Barnes probably wouldn’t have even come close to catching it. GO DODGERS!!! If the Dodgers aren't in the Soto sweepstakes, I wonder if Teoscar might be interested in a three-year deal. I wouldn't go beyond three years. He's better than I thought & is a good guy in the clubhouse. |
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