ORLANDO, FL — It was an offseason with few acquisitions for the team. Dodgers.
So much so that on the first day of MLB's annual winter meetings at the Signia by Hilton Orlando on Monday, the most intriguing rumor surrounding the team was a potential deletion from the major league roster.
According to numerous reports, Teoscar Hernandez was discussed in the Dodgers' trade talks with other teams this winter. USA Today went so far as to say the club is “shopping” the two-time All-Star, who is entering his second season in the tournament. the three-year, $66 million contract he signed last off-season.
However, both manager Dave Roberts And general manager Brandon Gomez downplayed that notion when speaking to reporters on Monday.
Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernandez hits a sacrifice fly to score the Dodgers' Will Smith during Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on November 1.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“Theo definitely fits [our roster still]- said Roberts. – He helped us win two championships. He's one of my favorites.”
“It's unlikely,” Gomez added of the possibility of Hernandez being traded. “Obviously, you can never say never about these things. I know this has come up. [in reports]. But this is not at all what we expect.”
The idea of trading Hernandez to the Dodgers seemed unlikely from the start. Although the 33-year-old slugger had an inconsistent and injury-plagued regular season in 2025—both on the field, where he hit 25 home runs but hit just .247, and especially on defense, where he had several notable errors after moving to right field—the 10-year veteran has made crucial contributions in each of the Dodgers' two World Series runs over the last couple of years and has acted as a mentor for the team. young players in the club; no more than Andy Pages.
Of course, moving Hernandez could help the Dodgers get younger, which has been the front office's goal this offseason as they try to navigate their aging and expensive roster. And his salary could be repurposed if the team makes a more impressive free agent signing.
But for now, the Dodgers continue to express faith in their current core, with Roberts noting Monday that “we're very confident in where the roster is right now” and that “we don't think there's anything major that needs to be done.”
Additionally, moving Hernandez would only further exacerbate the team's pre-existing need for help on the field as the club continues to evaluate both the free agent market (where players like Cody Bellinger or Harrison Bader appear better and more affordable than the likely $400 million signing of top free agent Kyle Tucker) and trade opportunities (like Brendan Donovan or St. Louis' Lars Nootbaar). The Cardinals, Jarren Durant or Villier Abreu of the Boston Red Sox or, in a less likely scenario, Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians.
Roberts did leave the door open to a potential move for Hernandez back to left field, where he spent most of 2024 with the Dodgers before moving to his more natural position in right field last year.
Still, Roberts said Hernandez's defense was “at least average” in the immediate aftermath of the August series at Colorado, when he made a pair of particularly egregious catching errors. His defensive numbers throughout his career have also been stronger in right field than in left field.
“I think due to the versatility [of our roster] and how we potentially build that lineup, there are a number of options,” Roberts said. “But now he’s our right fielder.”
