Dodgers’ Fan Favorite Likely to Sign Quickly in Free Agency: Report

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made very little noise since celebrating their World Series victory with a parade through downtown Los Angeles and a rally at Dodger Stadium. Maybe the biggest nugget of news dropped when general manager Brandon Gomes said at the GM Meetings last week in San Antonio that Mookie Betts is expected to move from right field, the position he played throughout the Dodgers’ postseason run, back to the infield in 2025.

Such a move would create an obvious need to fill a corner-outfield spot. According to a new report Tuesday, they might not need long to fill it. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández will likely “be one of the first big names off the board” in free agency this offseason.

“The Dodgers are the favorites to bring him back where he thrived in 2024,” Passan reported. “Boston is in. So is Baltimore. And the Yankees want him if (Juan) Soto doesn’t come back, though he could have already signed by the time New York knows where it stands with Soto.”

Hernández, 32, hit a career-high 33 home runs for the Dodgers in 2024, to go with 99 RBIs and a .272 batting average. In the postseason, he hit .250 with three home runs and 12 RBIs as the Dodgers dispatched the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and New York Yankees en route to the championship.

The Dodgers are also among the teams that will meet with Soto, who is expected to command the largest contract of any free agent this offseason, if not ever. Since both he and Hernández are effectively limited to playing the corner outfield positions and designated hitter, it would make sense for any of Soto’s suitors to turn their attention to Hernández if they feel Soto’s contract is too rich for their blood.

The Dodgers could well fall into that camp. Passan reports they would only consider Soto “in the unlikely event his market softens.” More news: Mets Won’t Be Exploited By Juan Soto’s Agent in Free Agency: Report Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs for the Yankees in 2024, helping lead the team to its first World Series appearance in 15 years. He led the American League with 128 runs scored to go with 109 RBIs and a .419 on-base percentage in his first season in the Bronx.

The free agent market is expected to move slowly this year, at least once the handful of baseball’s big offseason spenders have reached agreements with their main targets. Only a small number of free agents figure to sign quickly. Hernández, whose one-year contract with the Dodgers was consummated Jan. 12, could be among the first.