Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is firmly on the trade block, according to an insider, as the team’s offseason ramps up.
The Dodgers are listening on Teoscar Hernandez
The Dodgers don’t have many movable pieces for trade, at least if they want to keep their core intact, though Hernandez is a prime candidate given his expiring deal.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, Hernandez is on the trade block, and teams that miss out on some of the outfielders in free agency could target him.
“They’ve got outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and his remaining $21 million salary on the trade block,” Nightengale wrote for USA Today.
The General Managers’ meetings in Las Vegas have lit up the MLB world, with plenty of chatter about free agents and possible trades.
The Dodgers have made only a minor-league signing and a waiver-wire addition so far, with less than three weeks until the league goes into a lockout.
The Dodgers don’t need to deal Hernandez, since they can afford to keep his money on the books for one more year and still make other signings, namely, keep Tarik Skubal.
Why a trade makes sense
However, to clear a path for Josue De Paula, along with other possible outfield prospects, dealing Hernandez would make sense.
He has been a positive bat over the last two years, but not the standout he was in 2024.
Over the last two years, he has an OPS+ of 106, slashing .256/.308/.441 with 41 home runs and 2.4 bWAR.
Additionally, his outfield defense remains weak, with a lack of range and playmaking in his move to left field.
He has just 10 stolen bases over the last two years, so speed isn’t a factor either.
On a different team, where he can DH regularly and let his bat shine, Hernandez may still have another gear to offer, but with one more year to cash in on him in the trade market and a ton of players waiting on the wings, a deal makes more and more sense.
