With the start of Spring Training just around the corner, the Los Angeles Dodgers still need to fill out multiple holes on the roster as they look to defend their championship.
Their biggest current need is a third baseman, with re-signing Justin Turner still being the most likely scenario. One area the Dodgers don’t have a big need for is a utility infielder, which is why reports indicate it is unlikely they will re-sign Kiké Hernandez.
Hernandez is also believed to be looking for a place where he can play every day, which was not the case on the Dodgers.
There are so many teams out there that can use a player of Hernandez’s skillset, and the Boston Red Sox are reportedly among them. Now that DJ LeMahieu has re-signed with the New York Yankees, the infield market is expected to start moving quickly.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Red Sox maintain interest in Hernandez, who may be reaching the end of his free-agent process:
Boston has been in touch with Kolten Wong, Cesar Hernandez, Kiké Hernandez, Dee Strange-Gordon and likely others, according to major-league sources, though those talks have, generally, been preliminary to this point. The markets for Wong, Cesar Hernandez, Strange-Gordon and others were largely dependent on where LeMahieu signed but Kiké Hernandez, who is believed to be looking for a short-term deal, is thought to be further along in his free-agent process.
As a rebuilding team that can use a veteran infielder, the Red Sox seem to be a nice fit for Hernandez.
With his expected departure, the Dodgers will be relying on Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and potentially Zach McKinstry to fill Hernandez’s utility role in 2021.
Hernandez only looking for one-year contract
As reported, all indications this offseason are that Hernandez is only looking to sign a one-year contract in free agency so he can reach the open market again next winter when more teams might be more inclined to spend.
Since he isn’t looking for a long-term deal, Hernandez may be able to get a higher average annual value from the Red Sox or whatever team he lands with this winter.
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