Teoscar Hernández has been a big part of the Dodgers' recent postseason success - the kind of bat you want at the plate with the game on the line. But with spring training just around the corner, his future in Los Angeles is suddenly uncertain.
Hernández’s name has surfaced repeatedly in trade chatter since the Winter Meetings, and it’s not just idle speculation. The Dodgers are listening.
That doesn’t mean they’re eager to move him - far from it. But they’re keeping their options open, especially as the free-agent market continues to take shape.
Here’s the situation: Hernández is an above-average hitter with serious pop, particularly in October, where he’s built a reputation for delivering in the clutch. Defensively, he’s serviceable - average at best - and that’s where things get interesting.
If he stays in L.A., there’s a real chance he shifts from right field to left. That’s not just a cosmetic change.
It’s a strategic one.
Andy Pages, who turned heads with his glove in center field last season, could slide over to right, where his strong arm and defensive instincts would shine even brighter. That would allow Hernández to patrol left, where his occasional misreads - especially on balls down the line - would be less costly. What might be a triple in right becomes a double in left, and that kind of defensive damage control could go a long way over a 162-game season.
But all of this hinges on a bigger domino effect. The Dodgers are still in the mix for top-tier free agents like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger.
Until those names come off the board, L.A. is in a bit of a holding pattern. If they land one of those stars, Hernández becomes more expendable.
If not, he’s still a valuable piece - both as a bat and as a known postseason performer.
Don’t expect the Dodgers to move him just for the sake of it. They know what they’ve got.
Hernández has been a key contributor during their back-to-back World Series runs, and his offensive upside is tough to replicate. Any team hoping to land him will need to come with a serious offer - one that makes the Dodgers think twice about parting with a proven October weapon.
So for now, it’s a waiting game. The Dodgers are weighing their options, watching the free-agent market unfold, and keeping Hernández in their back pocket - unless, of course, the right deal comes along.