Andrew Friedman Makes First Public Comment on Dodgers’ Kiké Hernandez Signing
The Los Angeles Dodgers fan favorite Kiké Hernández announced he will be returning to the team for the 2025 season. Although the one-year deal has yet to be made official, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made the first public remarks about Hernández’s long-awaited return.
Friedman revealed the Dodgers never had a backup plan if the team couldn’t sign the utility man, an indication the Dodgers know what they have in Hernández.
“It wasn’t something for us if we were not able to line up with Kiké, we were going to go, ‘Oh, here’s the next best option.’ Like a lot of times you’re targeting a need, you have the player at the top of your list and then others,” Friedman said, via Dodgers Territory.
“In this case, it was Kiké or nothing.”
The defending champions have welcomed back an October hero in Hernández, but Friedman heaped high praise for the utility man beyond his performance when the lights were brightest.
“As you pointed out, still not official yet but obviously the impact he has made in October on field it was obviou. Off field this past October may have been one of the most impressive displays of leadership I’ve ever seen,” Friedman said. “His connecting with different guys, going out of his way on a number of different fronts, was quite possibly the best leadership I’ve ever seen.”
The leadership from Hernández was evident as several players voiced their desire for the utility man to return this winter.
“I think everyone in L.A. wants Kiké back,” reliever Anthony Banda said to Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez. “He was phenomenal with me. He made a great impact on me as a player, as a friend and it was awesome to see him every single day. He brought such high energy he definitely brightened my days. I know he did that for a lot of people, too.”
Throughout the offseason, multiple reports cited Hernández’s versatility as grounds for the Dodgers to bring him back. However, the Dodgers front office hoped to orchestrate a reunion with Hernández because of his leadership.
Once again, Hernández has shown how multi-faceted a player he truly is, and of course, he does it best in Dodger blue.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Outman finished 3rd, not 2nd, in ROY voting after the ’23 season. It’s worth remembering that he started strong and later
battled through two slumps during the season to finish with a strong .790 OPS and 23 HRs, while providing quality CF defense. Only Freddie and Mookie played more games than Outman. He is streaky but the Dodgers stuck with him and were rewarded.
In ’24, he started in a deep slump and was sent to OKC, where he played quite well and earned a brief return to LA. Back in OKC, he thrived again, especially after his first child was born. While Dodger fans were rooting for Rushing to make a successful transition to LF, Outman was quietly outplaying him on both offense and defense.
Right now, Outman looks like an X-factor for this roster.
If Outman has a strong spring, he should win at least the thick side of a CF. His proven upside exceeds that of Edman and Pages. in ’23, 22 of Outman’s 23 HRs were against right-handed pitching.