Despite winning a World Series in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the reputation of floundering in the playoffs. Their last two showings were particularly disheartening, but the organization responded to its underachievement in a big way this offseason.
After adding Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, a club that won 100 games last year looked to be a bona fide dream team. But president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was not satisfied.
He felt that an offense already boasting Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Will Smith could use a bit more firepower. And Teoscar Hernandez obliged. The 2021 All-Star agreed to a one-year, $23.5 million contract to join this ever-expanding powerhouse. His decision-making process was quite straightforward.
“I'm hungry for winning,” Hernandez said, per Blake Harris of The Inside The Ravine Podcast. “There's no better place than the Dodgers right now.”
The 31-year-old slugging outfielder has played in just four postseason games during his eight-year career (all with the Toronto Blue Jays). One cannot underestimate the allure of being on a perennial contender that will command ample national and international exposure.
For someone like Hernandez who is betting on himself with a short-term deal, hitting in a lineup surrounded by future Hall of Famers and All-Star talents all yearlong is hugely beneficial. He batted .258 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs in 160 games in 2023. The 211 strikeouts (third-worst) are a definite concern, but the Dominican Republic native will have more chances to succeed than ever before on this overstuffed roster.
The “hungry” Teoscar Hernandez should be well-fed with plenty of Ws next season. At least during the regular season.