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Cardinals Hire Chaim Bloom For Advisory Role

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4:50pm: Mozeliak describes Bloom’s role as “more of a part-time role, an advisory role,” per John Denton of MLB.com. Mozeliak added that Bloom isn’t relocating to St. Louis but will be present at Spring Training and join the team for home and road games.

2:45pm: The Cardinals announced that they have hired Chaim Bloom as an advisor to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. Katie Woo of The Athletic reported the hiring prior to the official club announcement.

Bloom, 40, was the chief baseball officer of the Red Sox until he was fired in September. He was connected to the Cardinals in November and also received some interest from the Marlins to run their front office, but he will wind up with the Cards. Though he will be working with Mozeliak, it’s unclear exactly how involved he will be with the day-to-day operations of the club. Chris Cotillo of MassLive relays that it’s believed Bloom prefers a remote role that will allow him to stay in Boston.

Bloom’s tenure running the Red Sox led to mixed results. It seems as though he was given lesser budgets than the previous front offices in Boston, as Mookie Betts and David Price were traded to the Dodgers in early 2020, a few months after Bloom was hired towards the end of 2019. Per the data at Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Sox had payrolls above $230MM in 2018 and 2019 but have averaged under $190MM in the past three years.

The club finished last in the American League East in three of the last four seasons, with a surprise trip to the postseason in 2021 sandwiched in between. The farm system made some strides while Bloom was there, though the extent of its strength is subjective, like most matters involving prospects. Baseball America recently ranked Boston’s farm fifth in the league and FanGraphs second, but MLB Pipeline had them down at #16.

On the big league side, there were mixed results. Modest signings of Chris Martin, Kenley Jansen, Adam Duvall, Michael Wacha and Justin Turner generally worked out well, but the big swings didn’t really land. The Sox seemed far more bullish on players like Trevor Story and Masataka Yoshida relative to the rest of the industry and those deals haven’t worked out well so far. The club also made the strange decision to trade Christian Vázquez and Jake Diekman at the 2022 trade deadline but hold onto Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi, J.D. Martinez and others, ultimately finishing the year in last place but with a competitive balance tax figure that was just barely over the lowest threshold. By finishing just over the line, their draft pick compensation was reduced when Bogaerts and Eovaldi rejected qualifying offers and signed elsewhere.

All of that may be moot, depending on the specifics of Bloom’s role. Prior to joining the Red Sox, he spent over a decade working with the Rays. That club developed a strong reputation for player development while Bloom was there, jumping to the forefront of analytics in order to compete with clubs that feature much larger budgets. Whether that is part of his role with the Cardinals or not, he brings a couple of decades of baseball experience to the club, having served in various roles around the sport. In addition to his time with the Red Sox and Rays, he also worked for the league, for the Padres and spent many years writing for Baseball Prospectus.

When front office executives find themselves between jobs, it’s not uncommon to see them land an advisory gig such as this as a sort of placeholder. Bloom can do a bit of work and collect a paycheck in the meantime. If an opportunity arises to rejoin a club as a general manager or president of baseball operations, his gig with the Cardinals shouldn’t leave him so committed that he can’t pursue it.

Latest On Mets’ Offseason Plans

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In a recent mailbag, Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic fielded questions about the Mets and what remains of the offseason. They report that the club isn’t looking to add to their rotation any further this winter, except perhaps a depth move. They may make an addition at designated hitter, but don’t consider that essential.

The club came into the winter with lots of work to do in addressing the rotation. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander had been traded prior to the trade deadline in the summer and then Carlos Carrasco became a free agent at season’s end. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that David Peterson underwent hip surgery with the recovery set to last beyond the start of the season. All of that left the club with Kodai Senga and José Quintana in two spots, with depth pieces like Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and José Butto available as well.

But since then, the club has bolstered that group by signing Sean Manaea and Luis Severino, as well as acquiring Adrian Houser from the Brewers. That currently leaves them with a front five of Senga, Quintana, Manaea, Severino and Houser. Each of Megill, Lucchesi and Butto are still optionable, which will likely have them starting in Triple-A until an injury creates a need at the big league level. Peterson also has an option and can be in Triple-A if there’s no room for him in the majors when he’s healthy. It seems the club will go into the season with that as the depth chart, though a minor league signing or waiver claim could still factor in at some point.

The long run is a bit of a different story. Each of Quintana, Severino and Houser are impending free agents. Manaea signed a two-year deal but can opt out after 2024. Senga has four years left on his deal but has an opt-out after 2025, provided he logs at least 400 innings from 2023 to 2025. That gives the Mets very little long-term certainty their rotation.

They do have some prospects who could perhaps enter the picture in the near future, with Mike Vasil, Dominic Hamel, Christian Scott, Blade Tidwell and Tyler Stuart some of the notable prospects that reached at least as high as Double-A in 2023. But per Britton and Sammon, the Mets “are aware that their prospect pool leans toward mid-rotation or back-end starters, and thus that a significant external addition to their rotation sometime in the next two years is necessary.”

Assuming the Mets are shopping for a front line starter next winter, they should have some options. Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Shane Bieber and Walker Buehler currently look to be some of the most exciting names in the free agent class of 2024-25. In terms of veterans, Zack Wheeler, Nathan Eovaldi and Scherzer will be in there as well, with Verlander perhaps joining them depending on the outcome of his vesting option. Robbie Ray can opt out of his deal after the upcoming campaign. Pitchers like Jack Flaherty, Frankie Montas or Severino might have bounceback years and raise their stocks, and the same goes for pitchers with options like Lucas Giolito or Manaea. So much can happen in a year to change a club’s plans but the Mets should be able to find something to their liking, especially with their willingness to spend money.

Turning to the designated hitter situation, the Mets could have some internal options there. The recent signing of Harrison Bader to join Brandon Nimmo in the outfield leaves one spot open on the grass. Starling Marte is the most logical person to line up next to those two, but he’s now 35 and is coming off a frustrating season. He missed almost half the year due to migraines and groin issues, hitting just .248/.301/.324 when in the lineup. Perhaps the Mets will look to get him some semi-rest days via the DH slot. If so, that would leave some outfield playing time for Tyrone Taylor or DJ Stewart. The latter would also be a DH candidate since he’s considered a poor fielder. Mark Vientos will be battling Brett Baty and Joey Wendle for playing time at third but Vientos is also considered weak on defense and could find himself in the DH mix if he hits well enough. Baty hasn’t been graded well for his third base defense in his major league career, for that matter.

That gives the Mets plenty of internal candidates to fill the DH slot, but it’s also possible to see room for an addition. Each of Baty, Vientos and Stewart are still optionable and could find themselves in Triple-A, depending on how things go. That gives the club a path to perhaps bring in a bat. Some of the DH types available in free agency include J.D. Martinez, Joc Pederson, Rhys Hoskins, Jorge Soler, Brandon Belt and Justin Turner. The Mets have previously been connected to Turner and Martinez in rumors this offseason. Turner would arguably be the best fit on the roster since his ability to play some infield means he wouldn’t be strictly limited to a DH role and could allow the club to cycle Marte or anyone else in there. Since Turner is 39 years old, he will also be limited to a short-term deal which will appeal to the Mets, given the way they’ve been operating this winter.

Despite the club’s apparent transition year in 2024, their past spending still has their competitive balance tax figure over the fourth and highest threshold of $297MM. Roster Resource pegs their CBT figure at $321MM right now. As a third-time payor at that level, the Mets will be facing a 110% tax on any further spending. The tax bill won’t be calculated until season’s end, so midseason deals could drop them down, but it seems inevitable that they will be facing another steep bill in the fall. They have shown little hesitation about spending money under owner Steve Cohen but it remains to be seen if they will add another contract to the books when they could give those DH at-bats to internal options.

Marlins, Jonathan Davis Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Marlins have agreed to a deal bringing outfielder Jonathan Davis back to the organization, as Davis himself announced on Instagram. Miami outrighted Davis off the 40-man roster at season’s end rather than tender him a contract in arbitration. The team has yet to announce the signing, but it’s a minor league contract with an invite to spring training, per Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base. Davis is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Davis, 31, spent the bulk of the 2023 season with the Marlins organization after coming over in a May trade with the Tigers. He appeared in 34 games and tallied 104 trips to the plate, batting .244/.307/.378 with a pair of homers, four doubles, a triple and a steal in that time. He’s one of the game’s speedier options in the outfield, clocking in at an average sprint speed of 28.9 feet per second, according to Statcast, which places him in the 89th percentile of MLB players.

In parts of six big league seasons, Davis is a .198/.295/.276 hitter. He’s upped his walk rate considerably in recent seasons, however, drawing a free pass in 11.1% of his plate appearances dating back to 2021. Davis is also a lifetime .260/.362/.433 hitter in parts of five Triple-A seasons and is plenty experienced in all three outfield slots. Statcast pegs him as a plus defender in center, where he’s been credited with 11 Outs Above Average in 982 innings.

The Marlins have lefty hitters in center (Jazz Chisholm Jr.) and right field (Jesus Sanchez), with righty-hitting Bryan De La Cruz in left. Switch-hitting utilitymen Xavier Edwards and Vidal Brujan are also in the mix for outfield time, as is right-handed-hitting Peyton Burdick. Davis, another righty bat, doesn’t exactly profile as a platoon option for either Chisholm or Sanchez, as he’s a career .214/.338/.313 hitter even against lefties. However, if he makes the roster, he’d be an option to give either player an occasional breather (ideally against lefties) or rest day at designated hitter, and his speed makes him a viable pinch-running threat or late-game defensive upgrade.

Rays Sign Rob Brantly To Minor League Deal

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The Rays announced Monday that they’ve signed veteran catcher Rob Brantly to a minor league contract and invited him to big league camp in spring training. He’ll compete with fellow non-roster invitee Alex Jackson and any subsequent catching additions for playing time alongside Rene Pinto.

Brantly, 34, has appeared in parts of eight big league seasons but never tallied more than 243 plate appearances in a single MLB campaign. He hasn’t appeared in more than six MLB games in a season since 2017 and didn’t appear in the Majors at all last year, spending 2023 with the Blue Jays’ Triple-A club in Buffalo.

In 456 trips to the plate as a big leaguer, Brantly carries a .225/.287/.326 batting line. He’s also suited up for a whopping 11 Triple-A seasons and delivered a .267/.325/.390 output in more than 2500 plate appearances. Brantly sports a career 29% caught-stealing rate, and Baseball Prospectus has credited him with strong framing marks in the upper minors dating back to 2019.

It still seems quite likely that additional catching help will be brought in by the Rays. Pinto is the only backstop on the team’s 40-man roster at present, and although he’s a talented defender he’s also a 27-year-old with just 188 big league plate appearances and a career .235/.255/.399 batting line in that tiny sample. Brantly is a long shot to crack the Opening Day roster, but he’s an experienced hand who can work with catching prospect Dominic Keegan and the team’s young pitchers in spring training and/or in Triple-A Durham this season.

Rockies Looking For Left-Handed-Hitting Outfielder

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The Rockies deepened their rotation and catching corps late last week with signings of Dakota Hudson and Jacob Stallings, and their next move could be of similar scope in the outfield. Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports that the Rox are looking for a “depth outfielder” — ideally someone who can handle all three positions while hitting from the left side of the dish.

As things stand, the Rockies have a largely right-handed outfield mix. Left fielder Nolan Jones bats left handed, but each of Brenton Doyle, Sean Bouchard and Hunter Goodman is right-handed — as are the bulk of the team’s upper-minors options (with the notable exceptions of top organizational prospects Zac Veen and Yanquiel Fernandez, though both are likely more than a year from the Majors still). Colorado re-signed franchise stalwart Charlie Blackmon earlier in the offseason, but he’s expected to reprise his role as the team’s primary designated hitter in 2024.

Adding some outfield depth from the left side makes a good bit of sense then, although the free-agent market is pretty light. It’d be a shock to see the Rockies spend at the levels necessary to sign Cody Bellinger, and the options beyond him aren’t exactly plentiful. Joey Gallo would make an interesting upside play at Coors Field, but his production has been in a free-fall since the 2021 trade sending him from Texas to the Bronx. Travis Jankowski and old friends Raimel Tapia and Rafael Ortega could make sense, with the latter two in particular likely to be available on minor league contracts.

Trade scenarios for this type of player abound. There are too many to list in full, though reasonable on-paper trade partners include the Royals (Kyle Isbel, Drew Waters), Mariners (Cade Marlowe, Taylor Trammell, Zach DeLoach) and Tigers (Akil Baddoo). It’s also possible that the Rox could simply fill the need with a spring waiver claim or deal for an out-of-options player who’s been squeezed out of a roster spot with his current team (e.g. Nick Gordon, Jake Cave).

The extent to which the Rockies can add to their payroll remains unclear. Colorado has added around $9-10MM in salary with the offseason pickups of Hudson ($1.5MM), Stallings ($1.5MM) and Cal Quantrill (projected $6.6MM salary in arbitration, via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). That said, the Rox still appear headed toward a reduced budget for the 2024 season. They didn’t lose much in the way of free agency — lefty Brent Suter being their lone departure of note — but GM Bill Schmidt traded away veterans like C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, Brad Hand and Pierce Johnson at the deadline. That group combined to help push Colorado’s 2023 Opening Day payroll to a franchise-record $172MM, but they’re currently about $30MM shy of that total.

Like so many other clubs in MLB at the moment, the Rockies face ample uncertainty regarding their 2024 television broadcasts — and thus, their revenue. AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, the RSN that previously broadcast the team’s games, is ceasing operations in 2024 (as first reported by Kyle Newman and Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post back in September). Saunders reported in a mailbag column over the weekend that MLB may step in to handle the Rockies’ broadcasts in 2024, but there’s yet to be a formal announcement on that matter.

However their broadcast situation plays out, it’s quite likely to adversely impact the team’s revenue. Couple that with the Rockies’ extreme longshot postseason odds, and it’s unsurprising (though surely still frustrating for their fans) that the team has had a rather quiet offseason and instead appears to be focusing on in-house development with an eye toward 2025 and beyond.

Mariners Still Exploring Infield, Bullpen Markets

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It’s been an active two weeks for the Mariners, who’ve recently signed Mitch Garver to a two-year deal and shipped out Robbie Ray and Jose Caballero in trades that brought Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani and Luke Raley back to Seattle. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said this weekend that while his team feels more complete now than at any point this offseason, he’s still open to subsequent additions (link via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times).

More specifically, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Mariners are still hoping to acquire an infielder to make the club less reliant on the uncertain tandem of Luis Urias and Josh Rojas, who are currently projected to start at third base and second base, respectively. Seattle would also like to add a reliever, per Rosenthal, which Dipoto alluded to in his comments to Divish and others.

An infield upgrade is a sensible target for the M’s, given the volatility presented by both Urias and Rojas (and to a lesser extent, first baseman Ty France, who’s coming off a down season). From 2021-22, both Urias (.244/.340/.426, 111 wRC+) and Rojas (.266/.345/.401, 106 wRC+) were above-average performers at the plate, due in no small part to walk rates approaching 11%.

Rojas saw his walk rate drop to 7.7% in 2023, however, as he batted just .240/.303/.338 in 350 plate appearances. Urias maintained his walk rate but watched his hard-hit rate and exit velocity plummet en route to a middling .194/.337/.299 slash in 155 trips to the plate. Both players saw their strikeout rates tick up to near identical marks of 23.2% and 23.1% — slightly higher than league average but also well south of the 30%-plus rates of some names they shipped out in trades.

Both Rojas and Urias come with platoon issues of note, as well. The lefty-swinging Rojas has extremely similar rate stats against lefties and righties, with identical 93 wRC+ marks against each, but his production against lefties is contingent on a .361 average on balls in play that’s not likely to hold up. Rojas has punched out at an ugly 28.3% clip against southpaws compared to a 21% mark against righties and hit for more power when holding the platoon advantage as well (.098 ISO versus lefties, .122 versus righties). It’s the opposite for the right-handed Urias, who’s smacked southpaws at a .276/.353/.442 pace in his career but carries a .219/.326/.365 slash against right-handers.

Rojas and Urias are both capable of playing either second or third base, so there’s a potential platoon setup between the two. Alternatively, if the M’s succeed in adding a second or third baseman and prefer to go with one true starter at the other slot, both Rojas and Urias could profile as a potential utility option off the bench.

Because of the defensive flexibility the current group possesses, the Mariners could look for options at either second base or third base. Dipoto typically operates more on the trade market than on the free-agent market, though both provide myriad avenues to fill the team’s needs. Whit Merrifield stands as the top free agent at second base. The Mariners aren’t going to meet Matt Chapman’s asking price at third base, but Gio Urshela and Justin Turner would represent much more affordable alternatives. Any of that trio would meet the Mariners’ previously stated goal of improving the club’s contact rate (which hasn’t exactly been strictly adhered to, when looking at the acquisition of Raley in particular).

On the trade market, Minnesota’s Jorge Polanco is a natural target who could step in at second base (speculatively speaking, to be clear). The Twins are deep in controllable young infielders and looking to slightly scale back payroll due to the RSN collapse that’s impacting budgets around the league (including the Mariners). The switch-hitting Polanco is earning $10.5MM this season and has a $12MM option for the ’25 campaign. The Reds, Orioles, Cardinals and Guardians are also deep in infield talent and could be intrigued by Seattle’s stock of young arms. That said, Dipoto cast significant doubt on his willingness to move a controllable starting pitcher with his weekend comments.

“We did a lot of groundwork on what it might look like if we did trade one of those young starters, and we never liked the way it looked,” Dipoto said (via Divish). He called retaining his stock of young arms (e.g. Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock) “Plan A” this offseason.

Within that same media session, Dipoto maintained an openness to further additions to the roster, speculatively rattling off the possibility of making “a fun addition in the bullpen” or more generally “an upgrade somewhere on the field that we don’t really have.” The Mariners have an imposing late-inning trio of Andres Munoz, Matt Brash and Justin Topa, but they’re relatively light on lefty options — with 28-year-old Gabe Speier and 30-year-old Tayler Saucedo as the only options on the 40-man roster. Both were solid in 2023, but neither had found any real MLB success prior to last season.

Dipoto has said previously that the Mariners’ 2024 payroll could increase over its 2023 levels, although a substantial increase hasn’t looked likely all winter. Ownership has rather clearly placed some fiscal constraints on Dipoto, GM Justin Hollander and the rest of the front office, as they’re among the many teams in the game facing financial uncertainty due to their own RSN situation.

Roster Resource currently projects a payroll of around $132MM for the Mariners, which sits about $8MM shy of last year’s end-of-season mark. Divish writes within his column that the Mariners want to leave some wiggle room for in-season additions, but there’s of course still some room beneath last year’s budget and the possibility that additional trades could further alter the current payroll outlook.

Submit Your Questions For This Week’s MLB Trade Rumors Podcast!

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On the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, we’ll frequently answer questions from our readers and listeners.  With the next episode set for Wednesday, we’re looking for MLBTR’s audience to submit their questions and we’ll pick a few to answer.

Whether it’s a question about a recent transaction, a future transaction or anything else related to the offseason, we’d love to hear from you!  You can send your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com.

Also, if you want to hear your voice on the podcast, send us your question in audio form and we might play it.  iPhone users can find instructions on how to do so here.

In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The Opener: Dodgers, Mariners, Imanaga

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As MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. What’s next for the Dodgers?

The Dodgers added a big bat to their lineup yesterday evening, agreeing to sign Teoscar Hernandez to a one-year deal. The addition of Hernandez solidifies their outfield mix of James Outman, Jason Heyward, Manuel Margot, and Chris Taylor, allowing Mookie Betts to stay on the infield dirt on a regular basis headed into the 2024 campaign. The addition of Hernandez takes the club’s luxury tax payroll to just under $303MM, per RosterResource. Now that the club has surpassed the final luxury tax threshold for 2024, could more additions be on the horizon?

While the club’s positional group seems largely set, an addition at shortstop who can provide more certainty than the club’s current tandem of Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas would certainly make sense. On the pitching side of things, another starter who can slot into the Opening Day rotation could allow the Dodgers to be more careful with their deployment of Walker Buehler in his first full season following his second career Tommy John surgery. Beyond that, the club has yet to make any changes of note to its bullpen mix, and longtime franchise stalwart Clayton Kershaw remains unsigned, though the veteran lefty won’t return to the mound until sometime this summer following shoulder surgery earlier this winter.

2. Will the Mariners continue retooling their roster?

The Mariners have altered the look of their lineup this winter after beginning the offseason with a focus on improving the club’s contact skills. By parting ways with Hernandez, Mike Ford, Eugenio Suarez, and Jarred Kelenic, Seattle made room for the additions of Luke Raley, Mitch Haniger, Luis Urias, and Mitch Garver while also shedding the remaining years on underwater contracts for Evan White and Robbie Ray.

The club’s corner outfield duo of Raley and Haniger sport question marks, however, as does the infield duo of Urias and Josh Rojas. Raley got off to a strong start in 2023 but petered out to slash just .200/.270/.380 over the season’s final two months. Meanwhile, Haniger posted a wRC+ of just 73 last year and has gotten into just 118 games across the past two seasons. On the infield, Urias and Rojas both appear to be best served in platoon roles. The addition of an infielder capable of playing everyday and perhaps another part-time outfielder would go a long way to rounding out the club’s offense, but the Mariners have seeming operated on a tight budget this winter. Do they have room for additional finishing touches?

3. The clock is ticking on Imanaga:

Left-hander Shota Imanaga, ranked No. 10 on MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, is entering the final stretch of his window to sign with MLB clubs after being posted by his NPB team, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Imanaga’s posting window will come to a close on Thursday, meaning just four days remain for the southpaw to sign with a big league club. There’s little question about whether he’ll be able to find a team given the interest he’s received from teams like the Giants, Red Sox, and Cubs this winter.

That being said, it remains up in the air not only which club the lefty will ultimately sign with, but what sort of guarantee he’ll land. MLBTR predicted a five-year, $85MM deal for Imanaga this winter, but reports last month indicated his market could be pushing toward a $100MM guarantee. Will Imanaga secure a nine-figure deal in the coming days? Any deal a club signs with Imanaga would come with an additional posting fee for the BayStars, which could cost around $16.9MM if Imanaga does land a $100MM deal before his posting window comes to a close.

Dodgers Sign Teoscar Hernandez

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The Dodgers have continued their free agent spending spree, announcing a one-year, $23.5MM deal with outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.  Only $15MM of that salary will be paid to Hernandez this year, as the rest is deferred and will be paid out in installments from 2030-39.  Hernandez is represented by Republik Sports.

Reports about the Dodgers’ interest in Hernandez surfaced soon after the free agent market opened back in early November, and L.A. maintained that interest all the way up until today’s agreement.  The Dodgers were known to be still be looking for a right-handed bat, and they’ve now addressed that need in a big way with a former All-Star and Silver Slugger who has hit 147 home runs over 3002 plate appearances since the start of the 2018 season.

After a string of productive years with the Blue Jays, Hernandez was dealt for Erik Swanson and Adam Macko last offseason, and Hernandez’s move to Seattle resulted in a downturn in his production.  While he still went yard 26 times, Hernandez batted only .258/.305/.435 over 678 plate appearances, and his 105 wRC+ was well below his 133 wRC+ from 2020-22.  Since Hernandez’s underlying metrics were largely the same as his career norms, it seems possible that the biggest culprit was simply T-Mobile Park.  Hernandez hit only .217/.263/.380 in the Mariners’ home ballpark last season, as opposed to a much stronger .295/.344/.486 slash line on the road.

While Dodger Stadium has something of a pitcher-friendly reputation itself, it stands to reason that the 31-year-old Hernandez might get back on track in a new environment, and this one-year deal might reflect his desire to re-establish himself before committing to a longer-term contract.  MLB Trade Rumors ranked Hernandez 12th on our list of the winter’s top 50 free agents and projected him for a four-year, $80MM deal, under the logic that the offseason’s lack of premium bats would still lead to a big contract for Hernandez even in the wake of an underwhelming 2023 campaign.

It could also be the case that Hernandez was open to a one-year pact specifically to join the Dodgers, as the outfielder is now joining arguably baseball’s most loaded lineup.  Los Angeles already racked up plenty of runs in their 100-win 2023 campaign, and that powerful collection of position players has now added Shohei Ohtani to the DH spot and Hernandez to a corner outfield role.

Hernandez now gets to join a contender and possibly win a World Series ring, while ideally posting a better platform year that would allow him to score a big multi-year contract next winter.  The Angels and Red Sox were two other teams known to be in the running for Hernandez’s services, and reporter Francys Romero and MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (X links) each relayed that those teams had interest in the outfielder on two-year deals.  In Boston’s case, Cotillo wrote that the Sox were interested in something akin to a two-year, $28MM pact.

Hernandez now looks to be the Dodgers’ everyday option primarily in left field, though he could slide over to right field when a left-hander is on the mound (thus sending Jason Heyward to the bench).  L.A. is still perhaps a little unbalanced with left-handed hitters in its first-choice lineup, yet Hernandez now joins Mookie Betts and Will Smith as big righty swingers, plus the Dodgers have other right-handed bats in Chris Taylor, Manuel Margot, and Miguel Rojas available off the bench.

Margot was also recently acquired as part of the Tyler Glasnow trade with the Rays but is known more for his defense than his bat.  Taylor can fill in at multiple positions, and his hitting also became a question mark after a down year in 2022, though he did bounce back with a 104 wRC+ over 384 PA last season.  Having Taylor as a supersub around the diamond is perhaps a better use for his skillset than a regular spot in left field, even if defensive metrics have been mixed at best about Hernandez’s outfield glovework during his career.

Hernandez has never drawn many walks during his career, and his high strikeout totals add even more swing-and-miss to a team that already saw Taylor, James Outman, Max Muncy, and even Ohtani rank well below the league average in strikeout rate in 2023.  Still, the relative lack of contact is something of a minor flaw compared to the huge upside provided by the Dodgers’ overall offensive attack.

The deferred money will lower the luxury tax number on Hernandez’s $23.5MM salary, but his signing represents yet another big expenditure for a Los Angeles team that has basically lapped the rest of the league combined in offseason spending.  Led by Ohtani’s $700MM deal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s $325MM contract, the Dodgers have now spent slightly under $1.067 billion on free agents alone this winter, to say nothing of the extra money taken on when L.A. acquired and then extended Glasnow.  As per Roster Resource, the Dodgers’ tax number for 2024 now sits at roughly $302.32MM, well over the Competitive Balance Tax’s highest penalty threshold of $297MM.

Even with the luxury tax bill continuing to escalate, there is little reason to think L.A. is done making moves, as starting pitching continues to be a need even after adding Yamamoto and Glasnow.  More signings obviously can’t be ruled out, or the Dodgers could move more young talent in other trades for another starter.  The sky is basically the limit for Los Angeles at this point, as the Dodgers have outpaced even their usual high-spending ways (with the many deferrals kicking the financial can down the road to some extent) in building a veritable superteam with Ohtani, Betts, Yamamoto, and Freddie Freeman among the cornerstones.

Reporter Moises Fabian (via X) was first with the news that Hernandez had signed with Los Angeles, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan (X links) reported details about the one-year term, the salary, and the deferred money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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