Los Angeles Dodgers set to re-sign Enrique Hernandez on one-year deal

MLB Rumors: Los Angeles Dodgers set to re-sign Enrique Hernandez on one-year deal

The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reported that the Dodgers and utilityman Enrique Hernandez have reached an agreement on a contract. Hernandez himself shared the news on social media, although the contract is still pending a physical. 

For the veteran, it's a one-year big league deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The financial terms are still unknown. When pitchers and catchers officially report to camp on Monday, the Dodgers will be able to start using the 60-day injured list. This means that instead of assigning a player to the team, they can just put an injured player, like Gavin Stone or River Ryan, on the 60-day IL to free up a roster spot. The Dodgers currently have a 40-man roster.

For his seventh season in Dodger blue, Hernandez, 33, is back in Los Angeles. After being selected in the sixth round by the Astros in 2009, the seasoned utility player made his debut with the team in 2014. However, he was transferred to the Marlins in the middle of the season and then traded to Los Angeles before the 2015 season. 

Hernandez immediately established himself as a vital member of the Dodgers' team. In his first six seasons with the Dodgers, he hit a respectable.240/.312/.425 (98 wRC+) from 2015 to 2020. His versatility has allowed him to appear at every position on the diamond, with the exception of catcher. 

Hernandez was a mainstay in the team's lineup against left-handed pitching during his initial tenure in California, and he recorded an outstanding 122 wRC+ versus southpaws.

After the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, Hernandez made his first step into free agency and signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Red Sox. He was then extended for an extra year and $10 million. During the 2021 season, Hernandez had his best season in Boston, hitting.250/.337/.449 (109 wRC+) while playing center field and second base for the Red Sox, leading to a season with 3.7 fWAR and 5.0 bWAR. 

After that initial outstanding season, Hernandez struggled for the team and spent his last year and a half in a Red Sox uniform hitting just.222/.286/.330 (68 wRC+).

As a result, he was sent back to the Dodgers, where he has begun to appear as a more reliable bench hitter. Since rejoining the Dodgers at the 2023 trade deadline, his overall slash record of.240/.289/.389 (87 wRC+) is still below average, and he has actually played as a more or less split-neutral hitter since coming back to Los Angeles after hitting substantially better against southpaws for years. 

Nevertheless, he continues to be as adaptable in the field as ever. Additionally, he has a history of contributing well in the postseason, as evidenced by his career.278/.353/.522 slash line. Hernandez slashed.294/.357/.451 in 14 postseason games for the Dodgers during their World Series victory run last year, demonstrating that his postseason heroics haven't diminished despite the fact that the rest of his game has declined in recent years.

Despite an already overcrowded mix of position players, Hernandez's flexibility, postseason record, and reputation as a fan favorite and cherished clubhouse presence were sufficient to persuade the Dodgers to bring him back into the fold for a ninth season. 

Though veteran infielder Miguel Rojas, who is typically thought of as a better defender than Hernandez on the dirt, also plays a similar role, Hernandez currently seems to fit best as a right-handed complement to lefty-swinging infielders Hyeseong Kim and Max Muncy. Hernandez might support Tommy Edman in center field and provide Michael Conforto with a right-handed complement in the outfield, but outfield rookie Andy Pages and fellow utility veteran Chris Taylor are expected to contend for a similar position this spring. 

Regardless of how Hernandez ends up fitting into the team's daily schedule, his return might push Pages and James Outman off the Dodgers' roster, which is expected to at least begin the 2025 season in Triple-A unless they decide to part ways with Taylor, Rojas, or another more seasoned player.