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Teoscar Hernandez returns to Dodgers on 3-year, $66 million deal, completely filling out crew’s outfield – Dodgers Digest


With the Dodgers nonetheless in want of an outfielder regardless of already signing Michael Conforto, a reunion with fan favourite and playoff hero Teoscar Hernandez appeared just like the frequent sense transfer to make as soon as Juan Soto was off the board. Regardless of a bunch of curiosity from different groups, and a few obvious haggling within the media, fortunately the Dodgers have secured Teoscar’s return by inking him to a three-year, $66 million contract. The deal consists of a crew possibility for a fourth 12 months at $15 million. It additionally, as you’ve come to count on, consists of not less than $23 million in deferred cash and a $23 million signing bonus.

If you happen to’re studying this, you already seemingly know the story with Teoscar, however let’s briefly go over it once more.

After establishing himself and making an All-Star crew with the Blue Jays, the Mariners acquired him for the 2023 season with the expectation that he would supply wanted thump. As a substitute, he slumped to a .741 OPS and ~2 WAR in his stroll 12 months, which led to him taking a one-year, $23.5 million “show it” cope with the Dodgers (that included deferred cash, in fact) regardless of extra assured cash being supplied elsewhere.

Properly, what a call that was.

In his 12 months with the Dodgers, he proved to be one of the dependable and constant offensive threats for the crew, posting a .272/.339/.501/.840 line for a 134 wRC+. He additionally supplied much-needed right-handed thump and lefty-killing to steadiness the lineup, taking his nice profession splits (.894 OPS LHP/.778 OPS RHP) and enhancing on them in 2024 (.931 OPS LHP/.808 OPS RHP).

I suppose it wasn’t all roses, as regardless of common baserunning, his protection weirdly fell off a cliff by DRS and FRV, costing him a few win in worth final 12 months. Whereas by no means a plus defender, there’s some potential for that to be an outlier since he graded as round a mean defender within the three years prior by the identical metrics, and likewise by no means fairly appeared that dangerous by the attention take a look at. Regardless, the mix resulted in him being round a 3.5-4 WAR participant, a steal for the Dodgers on a short-term contract.

Moreover, there was his postseason heroics. Regardless of struggles to show “clutch” or no matter, it appears not less than obvious that he doesn’t shrink back from the second and is ready to be himself on the most important stage. Teoscar put up a .250/.352/.417/.769 line within the 2024 playoffs, including an enormous 13.3% to their trophy through Championship Win Likelihood Added by arising with a few of the most essential blows through the 2024 run.

All of that’s principally to say he deserved to receives a commission this low season, and now it’ll come from the Dodgers but once more.

So far as the contract goes, the predictions from The Athletic, ESPN, FanGraphs, and MLB Commerce Rumors had been principally just like each other.

  • The Athletic: 3 years, $69 million
  • ESPN: 3 years, $66 million
  • FanGraphs: 3 years, $72 million
  • MLBTR: 3 years, $60 million

That averaged out to a three-year deal value $66.75 million for an AAV of $22.25 million, so it ended up being nearly spot-on. Given his standing because the second-best free agent outfielder, and with the best way the market has been trending this low season, it nearly feels gentle.

The most important query mark for Teoscar is his 32 years of age and the way for much longer he can sustain performances like he had in 2024. Regardless, this deal costs him as round an above-average common (~2.5 WAR), which looks as if a good wager for a participant coming off a 4 WAR season that may pay him into his mid-30s (and whose worth was perhaps nearer to five WAR final 12 months).

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On condition that the Dodgers nonetheless had an outfield want, the match right here is ideal by way of roster building. His match off the diamond can also be good, as Teoscar Hernandez has obtained nothing however rave opinions from the entrance workplace, coaches, and teammates, in order that provides on to the explanations he’s a simple option to carry again.

Most gamers will stay guarded whereas approaching free company, however Teoscar was something however within the aftermath of the title, and I doubt there can be any complaints from followers about him returning to the place he clearly needed to be.

Mainly, all the pieces appears to work out ideally for everybody right here, and the Dodgers’ lineup will now principally get an opportunity to run it again in 2025. Given how particular they had been in 2024, it’s actually one thing to sit up for.



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