As Passan said, the deal additionally features a fourth-year choice for $15 million, slightly greater than $23 million in deferred cash and a $23 million signing bonus.
Though Hernandez was an enormous catalyst towards the Dodgers profitable the 2024 World Sequence, the 2 sides have been unable to land on a brand new deal till now, regardless of the outfielder’s want to return to the crew.
The free agent market valued Hernandez too low to signal a long-term deal when he first signed with the Dodgers earlier than the 2024 season, which resulted in him signing a one-year, $23.5 million contract with $8.5 million deferred.
Hernandez improved in almost each statistical class in 2024 compared to the 2023 season with the Seattle Mariners.
In fewer at-bats, Hernandez had a .272 common, 33 dwelling runs, 99 RBIs, 32 doubles and 84 runs. The house runs and RBIs have been each profession highs for Hernandez.
Hernandez’s World Sequence heroics could have been the largest spotlight of his 2024 season. Hernandez hit a two-run double within the Recreation 5 title clincher and hit a Recreation 2 dwelling run, which gave Los Angeles a lead that it held the remainder of the sport.
Of the 125 hitters which have not less than 2,500 plate appearances since 2018, Hernandez is seventeenth in dwelling runs, twenty first in RBIs and fortieth in OPS+.
After dropping ace Walker Buehler on a $21 million cope with the Boston Purple Sox in free company, the Dodgers have been in a position to signal Blake Snell to pair with the gifted pitchers nonetheless on the roster for subsequent season. Los Angeles additionally re-signed prime reliever Blake Treinen. By signing Hernandez to a brand new deal, the Dodgers now have lately acquired Michael Conforto at proper subject and Hernandez doubtless at left subject.
The deferred cash ought to come as no shock, given $680 million of Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million was deferred, along with Mookie Betts ($115 million), Will Smith ($50 million), Freddie Freeman ($57 million), Snell ($62 million) and Tommy Edman ($25 million).
After profiting from the one-year deal, Hernandez returns to the Dodgers on the heels of a profession 12 months and a World Sequence title to go along with it.
