Teoscar Hernández looks like the most obvious Dodgers trade chip on the board this offseason, and the logic behind moving him is pretty clear. Los Angeles wants room to start getting Josue De Paula outfield reps in 2027, and the club also has a long-term goal of gradually bringing down the roster’s average age. Hernández hasn’t fully matched the standard he set with his All-Star, Silver Slugger 2024 season, but he still carries more trade value than Alex Call.
The Dodgers were already fielding interest in Hernández last year, with the Kansas City Royals mentioned as a notable suitor, though Los Angeles kept him. This winter could bring a different kind of market.
The free-agent class is thin, which usually sends more teams searching for trade help, and Hernández’s name figures to come up again. Toronto, his former team, had interest in a reunion last offseason after missing out on Kyle Tucker.
Kansas City could circle back, and The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham also pointed to Hernández as a possible Red Sox target.
If Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers did decide to send Hernández to Boston, the money would shape everything.
Hernández is due $22.17 million in 2027, with a $15 million club option for 2028. That is a hefty price tag for a player coming off a down year, especially if Boston views him as more of a one-year fix. Because of that, there’s a path where Los Angeles would have to cover part of the money still owed on his final guaranteed season.
Boston’s farm system has thinned out some this year, with several names moving on from prospect status and others dealt away - especially after the club’s massive trade with the Baltimore Orioles for Adley Rutschman. Post-deadline rankings were all over the place: ESPN had the Red Sox at No. 16, while Baseball America and MLB Pipeline slotted them at 21 and 24.
Even so, there’s still talent there. Hernández probably wouldn’t cost a top-five prospect, but a deal could start to make sense a little lower on the list. No. 7 prospect Sadbiel Delzine, a right-handed pitcher who finished the year at High-A with a 2.64 ERA, could be the kind of name that fits if the Dodgers absorb some salary.
If Boston were willing to take on the full contract, including the $8 million deferred, the return to Los Angeles would likely shrink. In that version, No. 15 prospect Marcus Phillips, another right-handed pitcher who wrapped up his season at High-A, could be closer to what Craig Breslow would consider.
The last major Dodgers-Red Sox swap was a big one, with Dustin May going to Boston for two top prospects at the 2025 deadline. That kind of deal can make it tempting to imagine Los Angeles pulling off another clean win, but this situation is different.
Deadline trades are built on urgency, and Boston’s pitching staff was in rough shape then. This time, the Dodgers are the team with the need, trying to clear money and create space for a top prospect.
So no, this probably isn’t a setup for the Dodgers to completely fleece Boston again. Still, if there’s one thing Friedman tends to do, it’s find a way.
In Other News...
Blake Snell Just Put New Pressure On The Dodgers Rotation
Blake Snell is already looking beyond the immediate grind of getting healthy, and that matters for a Dodgers rotation that has spent plenty of time waiting on arms to line up. After battling shoulder inflammation and going through elbow surgery, Snell has been limited since signing with Los Angeles, even though the results have still flashed the kind of upside that made him such an important addition in the first place.
Snells focus now is on a full, healthy 2027 season, with the goal of pitching at his best instead of simply managing his way through another year. For the Dodgers, that kind of outlook adds another layer to the rotation conversation, because it underscores both how much talent is still there and how much uncertainty remains until he can finally put a complete season together. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Offseason Plan May Hinge On One Crucial Rotation Decision
The Dodgers are already being linked to one of the biggest names that could shape their pitching plans for 2027, with Tarik Skubal emerging as a possible target as they look ahead to another winter of roster tinkering. Even with that kind of headline pursuit, the broader picture is familiar for this front office: if the top-end option does not materialize, the club will still need to map out other ways to fortify the staff and keep its rotation from getting too thin.
Boston is facing a similar kind of offseason puzzle, though with a different set of needs, as the Red Sox are expected to hunt for a back-end starter and a right-handed reliever who can miss bats. For the Dodgers, the interesting part is how much of their plan could depend on one major rotation decision, because the answer there may determine whether they chase a splash or settle into a more layered approach to pitching depth. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Suddenly Tied To Two Padres Arms Fans Know Well
The offseason market is already starting to pull familiar names into the Dodgers orbit, and two Padres pitchers stand out for very different reasons. Michael King and Adrian Morejon both turned in strong recent seasons in San Diego, and both have become the kind of arms front offices can talk themselves into when they start weighing upside, versatility and fit.
For Dodgers fans, the intrigue is less about what either pitcher has done in the past than where they might fit into a rotation and bullpen that never stays static for long. Both have personal ties to San Diego, which only adds another layer to the uncertainty, but for now this remains a matter of speculation rather than anything close to a finished deal. [Read more 🡒]