Teoscar Hernandez Provides Inside Details on Negotiations With Dodgers

Sam Garcia | Jan 6, 2025

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Teoscar Hernández made it clear that he wished to stay with the Dodgers long-term, despite declining his qualifying offer and electing free agency. Although the Dodgers expressed their intention of resigning Hernández, the negotiation period took much longer than expected.

In an interview conducted in Spanish with Grandes en los Deportes on YouTube, Hernández explained why it took so long for the Dodgers to resign him. 

His words translated to English read:

“Closing a deal with the Dodgers was more about how the contract would be structured,” Hernández said in the interview. “From the beginning, both sides were clear about what I wanted, and I was clear about what I was looking for. They were trying to structure it in the best way to convince me.”

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Last offseason, Hernández elected free agency and sought a multiyear deal. But, his performance at the plate declined every season after he earned his first American League All-Star selection in 2021, and his 2023 campaign with the Seattle Mariners was his worst since the 2019 season.

But, that all changed when he joined the Dodgers on a last-minute, single-season contract in Jan. 2024, where he had his strongest season since 2021. His performance with Los Angeles gave the reigning World Series champion a better chance at finding a multiyear deal this time around. 

Before Hernández signed with the Dodgers, there were speculations that the delay in his signing may have been due to him waiting to hear the salary other teams were willing to pay him. There were other teams interested in Hernández, including the Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets. 

However, Hernández revealed in the interview that money was not a top priority for him.

“I’m one of those people who obviously wanted to get my money, get a contract for at least three years, but I don’t give much importance to money. I could’ve still been in free agency, waiting for teams with more need for me to make an offer, but as I’ve always said, money is not the most important thing,” Hernández said. “I was simply waiting for them to structure the contract in the best way, so at the end of the day, I could take home a bit more because of the tax situation in California.”

The Dodgers and Hernández ultimately agreed on a three-year, $66 million contract, which includes a player option for a fourth season. 

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