Kik¨¦ Hern¨˘ndez back with Dodgers on 1-year, $6.5 million deal
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LOS ANGELES -- Fan-favorite super-utility man Kiké Hernández announced his return to the Dodgers on social media Sunday with a highlight video captioned, "Walking through the open door."
The club made the one-year, $6.5 million deal official on Tuesday, placing right-hander Gavin Stone on the 60-day IL in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Hern¨˘ndez.
Even with the Dodgers making plenty of waves during their bustling post-championship offseason, general manager Brandon Gomes made one thing clear last week: "We'd never close the door to Kik¨¦."
With Hern¨˘ndez back in the fold, the Dodgers are likely done making additions to the roster -- save for the anticipated re-signing of Clayton Kershaw.
The Dodgers have struck a balance between adding some of the top talent on the market while also bringing back some key members from their championship team. Hern¨˘ndez, who joins Teoscar Hern¨˘ndez and Blake Treinen as returnees to L.A. in free agency, was reliably the spark plug the Dodgers needed to bring home their eighth World Series title.
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Hern¨˘ndez's value is at its highest when the lights are brightest, as he has a career .874 OPS in the postseason with 15 home runs. Since 2021, he's hit .352 in the postseason with seven homers and a 1.008 OPS.
"We're in Los Angeles. Some of the greatest athletes of all time. And those great ones aren't afraid to fail," manager Dave Roberts said last October, after the Dodgers advanced to the NLCS. "When you talk about the postseason in whatever sport, you can't be afraid to fail. And this guy always rises to the occasion."
Hern¨˘ndez, an 11-year veteran, offers bench depth and defensive versatility. Though an overall below-average hitter (career 92 OPS+), Hern¨˘ndez is a serviceable platoon player who still provides occasional pop, as evidenced by his 12 homers for the Dodgers over 126 games in 2024.
His production has been hampered somewhat in recent seasons by injuries and health issues. Though he has a career .713 OPS, Hern¨˘ndez has hit well below that in the past two seasons. But his .654 OPS in 2024 was his highest since he had a .786 OPS with the Red Sox in 2021. Hern¨˘ndez has a solid eye at the plate, as his 26.4% chase rate in 2024 showed, and his 19.6% whiff rate last season was also better than average. He also hits the ball with an average exit velocity just below 90 mph, which is above the league average. Still, he hit just .229 with a .281 on-base percentage in 2024.
On defense, Hern¨˘ndez is quite versatile. In 2024 alone, he played first base (18 games), second base (10), third base (71), shortstop (nine), left field (15) and center field (11) for the Dodgers. He even made four pitching appearances in blowouts. For his career, he's played at least 43 games at every infield and outfield position.
The Dodgers have spent the offseason assembling a roster geared toward doing something that hasn't been done since 2000: repeat as World Series champions. It's a deep, talented and crowded.