- May 21, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Dodgers are once again drawing trade interest in outfielder Teoscar Hernandez as teams search for right-handed bats this winter.
Hernandez, 34, enters the final season of his three-year deal at $14.5MM. Los Angeles holds a $15MM club option for 2028 with a $6.5MM buyout, meaning a one-year commitment could cost $21MM total if the option is declined.
General manager Brandon Gomes tempered speculation at this week's GM Meetings. "We feel really good about our team as is," he told reporters including Jack Harris of the California Post.
Hernandez posted a 110 wRC+ with 16 home runs across 491 plate appearances in 2026. He carried a .785 OPS through late May before a hamstring injury sent him to the IL for a month. He slumped to .220/.273/.353 through August, then rebounded with a .965 OPS in September before postseason struggles.
Prospect Josue De Paula complicates the picture. The 21-year-old reached base at a .500 clip in an 11-game September audition, but defensive questions persist. A potential lockout would restrict the Dodgers from working with De Paula on his glove this winter.
Mickey's Angle: Hernandez is a classic salary-move candidate if the Dodgers want payroll flexibility, but Gomes sounds content to stand pat unless someone blows the doors off with an offer.
Source: MLB Trade Rumors - written by Mickey the Mouth from the original report.