The Dodgers announced that they have signed utility player Enrique Hernández to a one-year deal. No corresponding move will be necessary as they opened a roster spot by trading outfielder Manuel Margot to the Twins. Hernández, a Wasserman client, will reportedly make $4MM this year.
As news started to leak out about about Margot being traded to Minnesota, speculation turned to Hernández almost immediately. There was reporting over the weekend that the Giants, Angels, Twins and Padres were interested in him but he will instead head back to the club that he’s played for throughout most of his career.
Now 32, Hernández spent 2015 to 2020 with the Dodgers, largely deployed as a serviceable multi-positional guy. He hit .240/.312/.425 over those six years, production that led to a wRC+ of 98. Though that offense was slightly below average, he still helped the club by being able to slot in all over the place. He played all four infield positions and all three outfield spots during that time, and even made an appearance on the mound.
Going into 2021, he reached free agency and signed with the Red Sox on a two-year, $14MM deal. He was excellent in the first year of that pact, hitting 2o home runs and slashing .250/.337/.449 for a wRC+ of 109. He spent most of his time in center field, getting strong grades there, while also lining up at the middle infield spots.
In 2022, his offense took a step back. He went on the injured list due to a right hip flexor strain and missed over two months. Nonetheless, the Sox still had faith in a bounceback. In September of that year, they gave him a $10MM salary to stick around for 2023. He finished 2022 with a line of .222/.291/.338 for a wRC+ of 74.
With Trevor Story set to miss significant time in 2023 recovering from elbow surgery, the Sox tried to make Hernández their everyday shortstop, though the experiment didn’t work out. The defensive metrics didn’t like his work there, as he was saddled with a grade of -6 from Defensive Runs Saved and -12 Outs Above Average. He also hit just .222/.279/.320 before getting flipped back to the Dodgers at the deadline. Returning to his old stomping grounds seemed to suit him, as he hit .262/.308/.423 while bouncing all over the diamond for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers may never have been fully committed to Margot, as they took him on as part of the Tyler Glasnow trade. The Rays were looking to move some payroll in the Glasnow deal but also saved some more by including Margot, who is owed $12MM this year in the form of a $10MM salary and then a $2MM buyout on a club option for 2025.
The Dodgers are set to have a regular outfield of James Outman, Teoscar Hernández and Jason Heyward this year. Margot and his right-handed bat could have platooned with Heyward, who had a bounceback year in 2023 while being mostly shielded from southpaws, but the Dodgers also have other options for that role. Right-hander Chris Taylor is also on the roster and now Hernández will join him, giving the club two guys who could platoon with Heyward while also adding some infield depth as well. Hernández has hit .257/.343/.458 in his career against lefties for a 115 wRC+, compared to .228/.290/.377 and a wRC+ of 80 versus righties.
The Dodgers are going to have a middle infield combo of Gavin Lux at shortstop and Mookie Betts at second base. The former missed all of 2023 after tearing his ACL and damaging the LCL in his right knee, while Betts only recently moved to the infield after spending most of his career in right field. Miguel Rojas is on the roster as a glove-first depth option and Taylor is in the mix there as well, but Hernández can help out while also taking Margot’s role as the fourth outfielder.
The Dodgers are over the fourth and final line of the competitive balance tax and are a third-time payor. That means any money added to the payroll now comes with a 110% tax rate. However, they will end up being cash neutral today as they are saving $4MM in the Margot deal and giving $4MM to Hernández.
Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal. Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that it would be a one-year pact. Hernández himself first relayed that the deal was done. Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. had the $4MM salary.
yep, definitely expected this when they traded margot.
Will probably put up better numbers being back with the Dodgers, especially if his hernia is healed.
Yeah I like Kike better than Margot for the dodgers. Kike will also be a good clubhouse guy for them. He might even play better when he returns to the dodgers
swag – I’m happy for the guy, LA is where he belongs. Great personality and a postseason stud, much better suited for OF.
Just thought I’d point that he returned to the Dodgers last year, and in fact he did get better results in LA than he had in Boston.
ssapcm
I think Margot is the sligtly better players. FG projections agree (96 wRC+ and 1.3 WAR per 600 to 85 and 0.9).. I also think he fits the roster better as a legit CFer.
That said. Super happy to have Hernandez back
One of the funniest things I’ve read on this site recently was the post about Kike’s landing spots (earlier today)…”he was choosing between the Giants, Padres, Twins, and Angels.” …
No, everyone knew he was going back to the Dodgers.
The were quoting a report from Ken Rosenthal, who has a strong reputation for having good information.
But not this time apparently. Rosenthal is obnoxious. He’s the Hedda Hopper of baseball.
How did everyone know he was going back to the Dodgers ??
Everybody can predict the future after it happens.
Dodgers fan favorite.
Not for me. Always felt like Dodgers fans overrated him. I also never liked how Enrique thinks he’s a power hitter.
Yeah. Except for those three bombs against the Cubs in a playoff game.
And he didn’t another home run that postseason.
He’s always in my heart just for that.
Darren – You didn’t watch him in the 2021 postseason, did you?
9-for-20 in the ALDS with 3 doubles, 2 homers and 6 RBI.
10-for-26 in the ALCS with a double, a triple, 3 homers and 3 RBI.
Sox fans will be forever grateful for giving us the only thing to cheer about during the past 5 seasons.
I mean he has had a couple of seasons where he showed power
So they are deferring it until the trade is made.
Los Angeles Deferrals!
you should be deferred to the mute button.
You should own your team’s shenanigans. But we can’t have everything in life.
@This one belongs….
Shenanigans?
Oh, you mean the insanely team-friendly contract offered to LA by arguably the best player in the sport’s history that featured a contract structure that fell well within the collectively bargained parameters available to all 3o MLB teams AND all players?
Sorry your team wasn’t as desired, or wasn’t able to close a similar deal (that was and remains nevertheless available to it)….
Free Agency began in 1976 and in the 2nd year of free agency deferrals became common. Deferrals have been around for almost 50 years.
Rich Gossage, New York Yankees, six years, $2,’748,000—$750,000 bonus; $333,000 a year . salary, with $133,000 deferred each. year, to be paid 1984 through 1987.
Larry. Hisle, Milwaukee, six years, $3,155,000 — $615,000 bonus; $25
0,000 a year salary; $80,000 year deferred compensation for 13 years, 1984 through 1996.
Oscar Gamble, San Diego, six years, $2,850,000 — $150,000 bonus; $200,000 a year salary; $100,000 year deferred compensation for 15 years, 1984 through 1998.
Lyman Bostock, California, five years, $2,250,000 — $250,000 bonus; $400,000 a year salary, with $205,000 deferred each year.
If you don’t understand the difference between a hundred thousand or less deferred and 68 million a year deferred to get around the luxury tax, no one can help you.
If you can’t understand the difference between a concept and an applied principle, no one can help you.
The Dodgers use the rules to their full advantage.
If you can’t understand the importance of using the rules to your advantage, no one can help you.
If it upsets your world that the Dodgers do anything and everything to be successful, no one can help you.
…………….it appears, no one can help you
I was correct. No one can help you.
It’s not against the rules, obviously. It’s just grimy. But like a game of chess, you need to make moves grimy, I suppose.
Theres always this guy.
Something Something Dodgers buying all the top players!!!
Plus, Something Something about year’s deferred on the contract.
Did I cover everything?
You forgot ‘nobody wants to play in SF cuz the streets are littered with human feces and homeless tents’ and then ‘wow these people have no clue those piles of feces are incredibly nutritious and the tents are just what we call californigentrification’
Dude LA is so much more dirty, nothing to mention gang and drug infested!!
I’m used to hearing this from Angels fans, who are letting their thinly veiled racism show in their aging half-filled stadium with terrible food. But from a Giants fan, rivalry aside, you should know better.
No, not really.
Whatever makes you forget the racist comments from Dodgers fans when Ohtani played them.
Somehow SF is completely filled with homeless but also with those darn wealthy liberal elite. Which one is it???
It’s both. You should go check it out. Really easy to see 15 millions dollars homes and some junkies shooting up on the sidewalk within a few minutes of each other.
I actually go to SF quite frequently and all I see are spotlessly clean streets and buildings and luxury cars and some of the most beautiful women in the world. Why would I go to the crackhead spots? Weird.
“Spotlessly clean streets”…And leftist and “progressive” neighborhood and community leaders won’t try to make any changes or improvements because all their efforts go towards propaganda, celebrity and trying to convince everyone that nothing’s wrong and no changes are needed, right Jack Hoffman?
Sf is what happens when you eliminate the middle class. Rents that can only be afforded by tech bros and gals or with government subsidies
Pretty obvious you’ve never even been to SF and get all your info from fox news. The majority of San Francisco’s population is working class citizens who share rent with a few other people in a house. I used to live there a few years back and there are tons of affordable options for housing. You’re completely clueless.
Nobody is trying to convince anybody of anything except for you hate filled trump supporters who have never even been here. The city does what they can for the homeless but IN REALITY (not fox news), there are only a couple of areas where the homeless hang out.
Do you know what a progressive is? Because it sure seems like you dont
“Not Fox News”..Said the leftist joined at the hip by elitist, out of touch Hollywood celebrities and so closely aligned to the establishment MSM, he’s got corporate logos on his brain, right Jack Hoffman?
Here’s what you can do since you could never afford to visit SF; use google street view. All you will see is spotlessly clean streets and buildings and zero homeless. If there are homeless everywhere then they should be all over street view, right? Go check and see for yourself.
“Never afford to visit S.F”…That’s right, the leftists always ensure that rents in their preferred living areas are SKY HIGH, because it keeps their neighborhoods homogenous and free of minorities, right Jack?
I’m not into politics, Hollywood, msm or corporate logos. I actually hate all that. But you clearly love trump and fox news thats why you’re such a hate filled person.
“Visit” and “renting” are 2 completely different things. I didn’t say live there. Gee, you’re poor AND dumb!
@ Jack and @mlb
Why don’t we talk about baseball instead of stupid political arguments that no one outside of the two of you care about?
I live an hour from sf and I’ve been there dozens of times. My local rents have gone up to insane amounts because people who work in SF can’t afford to live there.
The rents went up because people can’t afford to live there? Huh?
Can’t. Any article on the Giants immediately goes to left vs right. I already said MLBTR should ban comments on Giants articles for this reason. But there is clearly a sickness in America. And it all started in 2016….
Yes rents an hour from sf have gone up because people who work in sf move to neighboring communities because they can’t afford to live in sf
It started w a fraudulent Hawaiian birth certificate
@jack
This is an article about the dodgers resigning one of their own players.
Not the giants. If you don’t like the comments on giants articles then refrain from reading them. It’s that simple.
Jcl bite me
And there it is. A true trump wacko.
Who exactly are you calling a “true trump wacko”
Again, this is a baseball site, not politics.
Exactly, why would you go to those places? What you don’t seem to understand is those cess pool places are expanding like a virus.
Hoffman- No feces on the Streets of Frisco? Why did your beloved City spend tons of money to clean it up when the 5th Beatle showed up?
I was literally just there last week. Spotlessly clean streets everywhere I walked. You seem very jealous and filled with hate.
Jcl the clown who said “fraudulent Hawaiian birth certificate”. Who also thinks the American election was rigged. And sure, if this is a baseball site then maybe MLBTR needs to do a better job at monitoring the comments. I was not the first person to bring up politics here. Its constant.
When did SF “spend tons of money” on street cleanup?
When You probably ask huh, about the Laken Riley murder.
It was National news when Newsom relocated the homeless and cleaned up the streets of SF before a visit by XI Jiping.
Not really sure how anyone who claims to know what’s going on in SF doesn’t know about that.
So they cleaned the streets months ago. And the streets were still spotless the other day when I was there. Shouldn’t the streets have been just total filth after all these months? Hmm, looks like you have no point.
You didn’t even know about it. Just saying.
“You didn’t even know about it. Just saying.” Nope. I don’t pay attention to the news or politics. As far as knowing what’s going on, me, I was actually in SF the other night for a concert, and actually drove and walked the spotlessly clean streets. You? You watch tv and stay in your little showbox apartment. But hey, you know the news!!!
Everyone thinks American elections are rigged. Which ones depend on whose side you align with.
Jack, please spend more time driving your vehicle to SF. Spend lots of time there. Please.
“Everyone thinks American elections are rigged.” Yet only one certain group thought it was ok to storm the capitol and bring shame on our country.
“Jack, please spend more time driving your vehicle to SF. Spend lots of time there. Please.”
Will do! Fancy dinners. Concerts at amazing venues. Giants and Warriors games. Usually go once or twice a month and spends tons of money.
You cannot walk from the Tenderloin to Pacific Heights in a few minutes, it takes 45 minutes if you’re in great shape, an hour if you’re not. Driving takes about 15 minutes + another 15 to find parking.
@ Jack H Spotless? I’m sure you were at Disneyland not SF. If you don’t follow politics how do you know where Fox and CNN stand. ???
Yeah these people are clueless. They watch fox news and think SF is two blocks. I try to tell them, google street view SF and see if you see homeless everywhere like they claim. You don’t. Just spotlessly clean streets, sidewalks and buildings. Its the biggest load of bs going. Even my trump supporter friend admitted it when we drove through the city leaving a Giants game: San Francisco is gorgeous and super clean.
Bull!
@jack: What does your guide dog think?
JH, Not only do you not know anything about baseball, you know even less about politics!
Please leave the politics out. – we are here to enjoy and talk baseball. And btw…I’m typing this sitting at my kitchen table in San Francisco on a perfect clear Cali day. SF isn’t perfect but much of the City is beautiful, the parks are great and my kid actually goes to an excellent public school. If you spend time here you’ll find a lot of really nice people who love it.
And you have to know it’s only going to get worse. It’s the black hole that sucks up everything of value, including the game we love. It saddens me that so many people who call themselves baseball fans don’t seem to care at all.
75,500 homeless people in LA. on any given night. A 9% rise from the year earlier. Even Hollywood elites are speaking out. Neither town should be pointing fingers over the failed policies in that state. I lived there for 40 years, miss it a lot. But had to take my kids to a place where they could be free from those schools. Anyway, back to baseball. Players play where they want to play and who will pay the most. Period.
Giant fan = Sore loser
@Bensmack
I’m not a Giants fan.
Are you a Mariners fan?
@Smelly_Cobb
No.
Are you… a Yomiuri fan?
@Gwynning
Yes.
Protip- take the train to the Dome if you ever go to a game!
No loss not signing him!
You see what you started?
Did they really buy the best players? Shoehei is without an arm this year, Yamamoto is a complete question, Teoscar wasn’t even worth what they paid him… Dodgers made a splash but was it really the best players aside from Shohei, who may not be the best in his prime moving forward?
If you really want to know what a player is worth, don’t look to what a team paid him, ask Some Guy on the Internet. He always knows!
@Chaim Breslow’s Purse
Whatever gets you to bed at night, Champ….
We all know they buy the best players. The outcome, though, who knows…
Backstab of the Year!
How are baseball insiders and experts always so wrong ? Ken rosendumb didn’t have dodgers on his list of teams Enrique was considering yesterday.
@Tacoshells
Because they are talking heads not experts.
This,
Heyman is a schill for Boras so we know his agenda.
The rest are guys working contacts trying to fill up space.
Sometimes those contacts purposely mislead him. I wouldn’t put it past an agent to tell Ken about 4 teams if my guy wanted to light a fire under the Dodgers.
Shill is the wrong word. Of course he’s going to report what Boras tells him. This is why I don’t pay too much attention to these rumors.
Typically they are leaked by people who it helps.
You can’t always predict these things. Ken is a great reporter, but he isn’t a mind reader.
I knew you were going to say that.
“always so wrong?”
So they’re never right or you just like to selectively point out when they’re wrong?
They better not give him #14 again. That’s Gil’s number. It was a disgrace that he wore it in the past.
He will get it again.
He wore number 8 last year to honor Bob Geren.
Was it also a disgrace when Scioscia wore it for 13 years?
14 wasn’t retired then. You going to disparage Mike Sciosia also for wearing it?
He can’t wear it. It’s retired. Research before going on that rant
14 was retired in ’22, Kiké hasn’t been a Dodger since ’20. Faux outrage a specialty, metsgolf?
I don’t think that there needs to be an official rule which mandates that free agents sign by a specified date.
But it certainly seems like it behooves players and teams to sign players before spring training starts.
I also don’t see why marginal players like Hernandez need to wait until “the market is set” by the more highly sought after free agents like Cody Bellinger.
Now I would imagine my Padres will sign Michael A Taylor or someone like that. Wouldn’t it be better for everyone to have him in camp prior to day 12 of spring training?
Why do you assume Hernandez was specifically waiting for Bellinger to sign, that somehow Bellinger’s contract influenced Hernandez’s deal in any way?
happy this is happening for him. clearly he really wanted to be in LA.
Good deal I personally never thought Margot was a good fit on the team. Love Kike back on the Dodgers for many reasons. Versatility, good clubhouse character, and great energy.
Not sure it expedited the trade, but it sure didn’t help his first two ABs in Spring Training ended in double plays on weakly hit balls
I always thought it odd that there weren’t any Margot interviews from the local LA media or from team that would introduce Margot to the fans. I think it was always in the works, but tried to do it before season started after the dust settled.
Considering Margot’s knees, this is likely a solid move for the Dodgers.
Kike ain’t special but he plays the game right and is a class act individual. Dodgers will deploy him everywhere, as needed. Love his passion for LA too…. Happy about the signing.
Well there ya (mar)got. Verstility returns to LA.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Margot was never a fit.
Kike on the Dodgers is the cherry on the off-season sundae!! Or better yet, the banana on the off-season banana split!!
That’s a lot of exclamation points for one Kike. Ahahaha!
Isn’t Taylor, Rojas, and Kike a bit redundant?
Not as much Taylor is not as strong at 3B. I don’t think Rojas has really played 3B. Kike is able to back up Muncy. There wasn’t a true backup previously who is a strong 3B option. This was a good trade/signing.
When the Rays trade went down, I hoped Margot would be flipped or cut. But I don’t think Kike is much of an upgrade, other that that he can be a 4th backup infielder.
Kike seems to value playing for LA over playing time. I don’t see him getting a lot of work, but he’s solid and reportedly a good guy.
He can play the OF and IF. That’s where he’s more valuable than Margot. Yeah, the hitting can vary by season but he’s had some success at the plate as a Dodger. He’s a role player. They’re not supposed to put up big numbers.
Yeah it’s consistently the case that teams value player versatility more than fans do, I guess because there’s no stat for it.
1 yr, $1 million contract. All deferred till 2057.
after 2 million similar remarks it’s not funny anymore.
2 million also happens to be Ohtani’s non-deferred salary. It all comes back full circle
THIS MAKES ME SO FREAKING SICK. Back to daddy of course! He’s garbage anywhere else so signing up for the easy ring, all that BS about picking between 4 teams was a smokescreen they ALL WANT TO SIGN UP WITH THE DODGERS. This team has already won the World Series, give them the damn rings and just end this charade before it starts. These players don’t even care when they’re playing elsewhere. Their sole mission in life is to serve their father the Dodgers. Brasier, Hernández, two perfect examples of complete wastes in Boston the last few years until they signed up for the cheat lab.
CRY!
Lol it’s like incel talking points applied to the mlb free agent market. Why do all the free agent Stacies just chase the LA Chad money? Nice cities like Milwaukee and Cleveland need players too!!!
Everyone has figured it out. It’s not worth putting any effort forward for crummy small market teams like Milwaukee and Cleveland who will never win. Might as well save your energy and play hard for the dynasty because sports need dynasties. They need the Chiefs and even the Dodgers even though LA is the biggest joke sports town on the planet so people can attach themselves to a team that spends $1B to market Japanese superstars that only they could afford.
Yep. Still crying.
As lons as this guy is pi ssed, it means we are on track. I also like it a lot he is built to great moments and guess what we have for you Kike. Now lets get started.
Worst decision since the Ohtani signing.
Im just glad he’s not coming to the Angels. We don’t need another player like Kiki. Although, passing on Urshela to sign Kiki seems like a very Angels thing to do.
Fan favorite or not Dodgers now paying 2x for guys that are below replacement level.
It’s about time the Dodgers did something this winter.
Play him at SS!
Glad to get Kiké back (again), after 2020 it felt like the Dodgers were missing that fun quotient in the dugout. I don’t remotely know if it truly matters, but having guys like that seem like a good idea to me.
Margot is now Mar GONE!!! Glad Kike is back
came to read about baseball and was confronted with yet another 60-post argument about crime-ridden liberal cities. i’d like to remind people that there are plenty of other sites where you can rant about law enforcement and fecal matter
Pretty much the rest of the internet. It’s getting to be almost impossible to find a place where someone isn’t trying to perform a hostile takeover of whatever discussion you might be trying to have.
ACAB, tho
Great positional versatility with below league average results. He digs himself and keeps the guys loose, Dodgers fans love that. Might be the last go round for him and the Dodgers.
LA will be the biggest underperforming team of 2024.
Were you crying while writing this?
Dreaming of that first legit full-season ring in 36 years. Best team money can buy baby!!
More crying…….
Alex Cora’s BFF
I’ve been thinking about this recently.
I think Margot is the slightly better players and fits the roster slightly better (stronger defensive OFer).
But thought it might make sense to sign Hernandez and trade either Taylor or Margot to bring in more future talent. Get a slight bit worse in 2024 to get a little better in 2025 and beyond.
I know I like Hernandez more than I liked Margot.
Now to figure out how to get Greinke (Ryu, Stripling, Wood, Maeda et al) back on the roster.
I am looking forward to the day when Hernandez comes into a game to play for Hernandez.
Who would’ve thought Hernandez would make more than Ohtani this season
Og58
“Who would’ve thought Hernandez would make more than Ohtani this season”
No one. And be doesn’t.
Ohtani is making $46 million this year. Hernandez isn’t making near that
Good solid move. Can play everywhere but C. Hit lefties a ton in past. Plus LA fans already like em. Go Dodgers ! Him n Joe Kelly add fire to team in support roles. Friedman loves em2.
Why was he so bad with the Red Sox?
How much $$ deferred for the bench players??
Signed him yesterday. Announced his July bobblehead night in the tv broadcast today…a marketing juggernaut
Margot > Kike Hernandez
Except for certain post seasons where Hernandez has been super clutch.
Do you see any evidence that the Dodgers agree?
Glad he finally changed his name. Antisemitism needs to be stopped.