Even before he hit free agency this offseason, Teoscar Hernández made it clear that his heart was in Los Angeles.

¡°My hopes are really high,¡± Hern¨¢ndez said after the World Series parade. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said before, the Dodgers are the priority, obviously. I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to come back.¡±

The Dodgers felt the same way about bringing back the 32-year-old outfielder who became a fast fan favorite in his first year with L.A. The reunion now appears to be underway: Hern¨¢ndez and the Dodgers have agreed to a three-year, $66 million deal with a $15 million club option for 2028, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Friday.

The club has not confirmed. Hern¨¢ndez posted "I'm back" on his Instagram story shortly before news of the deal broke.

Per a source, Hern¨¢ndez's deal includes a $23 million signing bonus and more than $23 million in deferred money.

While it hasn't been the $1 billion offseason of 2023-24, the Dodgers have made several key moves as they seek to defend their championship heading into '25. L.A. has also brought back high-leverage arm Blake Treinen, extended utility man Tommy Edman and signed starter Blake Snell and outfielder Michael Conforto.

Hern¨¢ndez was the Dodgers' only free agent to receive a qualifying offer -- worth $21.05 million -- which he rejected, seeking a multiyear deal after he successfully recouped his value with the one-year prove-it deal that brought him to Los Angeles in 2024.

He quickly became one of the Dodgers' most valuable contributors. Hern¨¢ndez blasted a career-high 33 homers and posted an .840 OPS in the second All-Star season of his career.

A source of consistency and a much-needed healthy bat in the heart of the L.A. lineup, Hern¨¢ndez also added plenty of value off the field. He brought a valuable veteran presence to the clubhouse and served as a mentor for the team's younger Latin American players. He was named the Dodgers' recipient of the Heart & Hustle Award, which honors active players who best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the game.

"His words, he loved everything about being a Dodger, and I'm always going to be a Teo fan," manager Dave Roberts said at the Winter Meetings. "There's not a whole lot of guys that can start [154] ballgames and post and then be that productive. Then you layer on being in a big market, helping us win a championship. So those players don't come around very often."

Hern¨¢ndez has been one of the more consistent power hitters in the Majors over the past half-decade, hitting at least 25 homers in each of the five full MLB seasons since 2019. He's one of just nine hitters to reach the 25-homer plateau five times during that stretch. The others are: Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Schwarber, Manny Machado, Rafael Devers, Matt Olson and Pete Alonso.

Along with his impressive 2024 regular season, Hern¨¢ndez put together a solid postseason performance during the Dodgers' run to the title. He reached base safely in 15 of the club's 16 postseason games, all while racking up three home runs, 12 RBIs and 10 walks.

Given how Hern¨¢ndez had endeared himself to L.A. fans by repeatedly expressing his desire to return, a reunion with the Dodgers seemed all but inevitable after the World Series victory. There was reportedly a gap in negotiations between the two sides that came to a head when the league-wide demand for corner-outfield help increased when the Soto sweepstakes came to a record-breaking conclusion on the eve of the Winter Meetings.

With the Mets agreeing to a staggering 15-year, $765 million deal for Soto, Hern¨¢ndez, along with switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander, became one of the top corner-outfield targets remaining on the free-agent market. Regardless, the Dodgers were able to get their man -- and they needed another outfielder.

While L.A. has several capable outfielders on its 40-man roster, Hern¨¢ndez gives the team the impact outfield bat it needed with Mookie Betts moving back to the infield in 2025. With the Winter Meetings signing of Conforto and the return of Hern¨¢ndez, the Dodgers' starting outfield appears to be set. Edman is expected to see most of his playing time in center field, with Hern¨¢ndez and Conforto occupying the corners.