The Los Angeles Dodgers are no strangers to outbidding the rest of Major League Baseball for free agents. But they can’t have every good player on their roster, can they?
After an offseason that saw the Dodgers bring in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and two other All-Stars, Los Angeles is up to its old tricks once again. This time, it’s rumored that they’ll be pursuing New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto, who they’re currently dueling in the World Series.
Soto is looking at a $600 million contract, and possibly more, depending on how high the bidding war goes. It sounds as though the Dodgers are prepared to match that dollar amount, but if they do, a fan-favorite from the 2024 team is likely on his way out.
Teoscar Hernández, one of the other two aforementioned 2024 All-Stars the Dodgers inked, was only playing on a one-year contract. Zachary Rotman of FanSided predicted Monday that Hernández would walk in free agency if the Dodgers were able to lure Soto to L.A.
“It feels crazy to say that a team won’t need Teoscar Hernandez – a two-time All-Star who just hit 33 regular season home runs and has hit third and fourth all postseason long – but that absolutely is the case. Why would the Dodgers need to bring Hernandez back if they signed Soto?” Rotman said.
“This will be Hernandez’s best chance to ink a lucrative multi-year deal. With both corner outfield spots (assuming Soto signs) and the DH position filled in Los Angeles, the Dodgers will be more than fine letting Hernandez go.”
It was Hernández who answered Soto’s game-tying home run in Game 2 on Saturday with a two-run shot to put the Dodgers ahead for good. He’s provided big swing after big swing for L.A. all season, and Dodgers fans would sorely hate to see him leave.
