Teoscar Hernandez’s name surfaced in trade rumors earlier this winter, and now that Kyle Tucker is joining the Los Angeles outfield, it created some natural speculation that the Dodgers could clear room by moving Hernandez elsewhere. Even with Tucker in the fold, however, it is more likely than not that Hernandez will still be a Dodger on Opening Day, according to both The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
The Dodgers’ plan is likely to move Hernandez over to left field, with Tucker taking his customary right field position. Andy Pages and Tommy Edman would be the primary center field options with Alex Call in a reserve outfield role, and Edman is also perhaps the top option within an unsettled second base mix that also includes Miguel Rojas, Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland, and new acquisition Andy Ibanez. A reunion with Enrique Hernandez at some point this offseason also can’t be ruled out.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts and GM Brandon Gomes both downplayed the idea of a Hernandez trade back in December, and even Rosenthal’s initial report about the trade talks indicated that it was “unlikely” the Dodgers would move on just a year after signing Hernandez to a three-year, $66MM free agent contract. The remaining money on that deal is broken down as $12MM in 2026, $14.5MM in 2027, and a $6.5MM buyout of a $15MM club option for the 2028 season.
Half of that $66MM guaranteed has already covered in the form of a $23MM signing bonus and a $10MM salary for 2025, plus $23.5MM of the total $66MM is deferred until 2031. A team trading for Hernandez would therefore be taking on only $33MM over a two-year period, with the remaining deferrals reducing that overall price tag.
This modest remaining cost likely led a few outfield-needy teams to at least float the idea of a Hernandez deal with Los Angeles, and the Royals were cited as one of the interested clubs. While money isn’t exactly an object for the free-spending Dodgers, moving Hernandez would’ve provided the team with some luxury tax relief, and opened up some more room in the outfield for other players. Call or Edman could get more playing time on the grass, which then removes Edman from the second base battle. Several of the Dodgers’ top prospects are outfielders, so the likes of Josue De Paula could’ve had more room for a Major League debut in 2026.
In keeping Hernandez, the Dodgers avoid any potential pitfalls with depth or untested players as L.A. tries to win its third consecutive World Series title. There’s also the possibility that Hernandez’s trade market was a little thin in the wake of a so-so year for the veteran. Hernandez still hit 25 homers, but his .247/.284/.454 slash line over 546 plate appearances translated to only a 102 wRC+, and his walk rate plunged to a career-low 4.8%.
Hernandez also had only a 107 wRC+ in 2023, though he bounced back from that season to hit more like his old self in his first year with the Dodgers in 2024. Another rebound performance shouldn’t be ruled out as Hernandez enters his age-33 season, but his subpar defense means that his value is limited if he isn’t hitting.
While trading a proven big leaguer like Hernandez might not be in the cards for the Dodgers, the champs have enough depth all over the diamond that they could turn to any number of less-established players as trade chips. Rosenthal suggests that right-hander Bobby Miller or minor league outfielder Ryan Ward could be players Los Angeles is more open to trading.
Just a few years removed from being one of the game’s top pitching prospects, Miller performed well in his 2023 rookie season but has struggled to an 8.85 ERA over 61 MLB innings since Opening Day 2024. He appeared in only two Major League games in 2025 while continuing to battle control problems at the Triple-A level. Ward is an eighth-round pick from the 2019 draft who crushed Triple-A pitching in 2025, and while he likely would’ve already gotten a chance in the Show in a less star-studded organization, Ward is entering his age-28 season and probably isn’t in the Dodgers’ long-term plans.
