LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ latest investment became official on Friday.
Free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez was added to the roster after his one-year, $23.5 million contract with the Dodgers became official. The contract reportedly will pay Hernandez $15 million in 2024 with $8.5 million deferred to the years 2030-39.
He also has provisions for large bonuses: Hernández would get $3 million if he finishes among the top five in MVP voting, $2 million if he is sixth through 10th and $500,000 if he is 11th through 15th. He would get $1 million for his third Silver Slugger Award.
Hernandez’s signing takes the Dodgers’ outlay for new contracts this offseason over $1.2 billion with two-way star Shohei Ohtani, and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow the biggest expenses.
Ohtani’s record $700 million, 10-year contract includes $680 million in deferred payments. The Dodgers owe deferred payments to Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Hernández totaling $865.5 million from 2033-44.
The Dodgers cleared room for Hernandez on their 40-man roster by trading top prospect Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in exchange for low minor-leaguers Jackson Ferris, a left-handed starting pitcher, and outfielder Zyhir Hope. Ferris spent last season at Class-A and Hope played briefly in the Arizona Complex League after being drafted by the Cubs in the 11th round of last year’s draft. Neither was added to the 40-man roster.
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The 31-year-old Hernandez is a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner with the Toronto Blue Jays (2020 and 2021) and made the American League All-Star team in 2021. He had a down year with the Seattle Mariners last year (a .258 batting average and .741 OPS) but still hit 26 home runs and drove in 93 runs. He had 12 assists, tied for third among MLB outfielders. He has a .261 career average with 159 homers, 473 RBIs and 58 outfield assists for the Blue Jays (2016-22) and Mariners.
The Dodgers value Hernandez for his production against left-handed pitching – a career OPS of .887. He is expected to be the Dodgers’ primary left fielder next season with right-handers Chris Taylor and Manuel Margot sharing time with left-handers James Outman and Jason Heyward in center and right field.