Los Angeles Dodgers fans will need to stock up on sunflower seeds after the team agreed to a new contract with fan-favorite slugger Teoscar Hernandez.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Hernandez will return to the Dodgers on a new three-year contract worth $66 million.
The Dodgers signed Hernandez to a one-year deal before the 2024 season, hoping to get a solid bat in the middle of the lineup who could provide a capable glove in the outfield.
Hernandez, 31, was a second-year MLB All-Star and rewarded his team by hitting a career-high in home runs (33) and becoming the first Dodger to win the MLB Home Run Derby.
A leader in the clubhouse, he quickly endeared himself to fans and Dodgers players with his energetic and lively demeanor, including showering his teammates with sunflower seeds after hitting a home run. This is a tradition that I brought over from my previous team.
Teoscar Hernandez of the National League’s Los Angeles Dodgers poses for a photo with the championship trophy after the MLB Baseball All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday, July 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Hernandez could have signed a longer free-agent contract with another team before his World Series-winning season with the Dodgers, but coming to Los Angeles could open him up to an even bigger contract in the offseason. was considered a strategic risk to increase the .
Mission accomplished.
With several key free agents heading into the winter, the Dodgers aren’t sitting idle after winning the World Series.
The team shocked the baseball world by agreeing to a large contract with ace pitcher Blake Snell and a five-year contract extension with utility man and National League Championship Series MVP Tommy Edman. The team also agreed to a new contract with key relief pitcher Blake Treinen and signed former All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto to a one-year deal.
The team also has other big decisions to make regarding other free agent role players, including Quique Hernandez, another fan favorite, and starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.
Teoscar Hernandez waves a flag during World Series celebrations at Dodger Stadium on November 1, 2024 (Getty Images)
The team also has a strong relationship with Japanese flamethrower Roki Sasaki, who could hang out in the Dodgers’ clubhouse with fellow compatriots Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
How the Dodgers defeated the Devils and won the World Series
For Dodgers president Andrew Friedman, bringing Hernandez back for the team’s World Series title defense was arguably the most important move of the offseason.
Former New York Yankees star Juan Soto, baseball’s biggest free agent name, has opted to sign the richest contract in U.S. sports history with the crosstown New York Mets. The decision became even easier. The Dodgers were reportedly one of the few teams to meet with Soto before he ultimately signed with the Mets.
While it’s a welcome reunion for a World Series hero, the Dodgers also had to say goodbye to another hero.
Walker Buehler, who shut out the Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series, which remains an iconic moment in Los Angeles sports history, is leaving the Boston Red Sox after agreeing to a one-year, $21 million contract.
