The Los Angeles Dodgers are nearly two months removed from the World Series, but they are making moves to ensure they have a great chance at repeating.
Their biggest move thus far has been signing starting pitcher Blake Snell away from the San Francisco Giants on a five-year, $182 million contract. Not to mention they retained postseason hero Tommy Edman on a multi-year deal. Besides that, the offseason has been relatively low-key.
Dodgers fans were waiting to see if the team would re-sign outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.
The outfielder, who signed a one-year deal with the team last winter, expressed interest in staying on a multi-year contract. But there were some contract holdups, with interested teams like the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays looming.
But on Friday, Hernandez announced on his Instagram story, “I’m back.” Chris Cotillo of the Boston Globe was first to report that the Dodgers and Hernandez agreed to terms on a three-year, $66 million contract.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the deal includes a fourth-year option worth $15 million, $23 million in deferred money, and a $23 million signing bonus.
With Hernandez returning, let’s take a look at their current lineup heading into the 2025 season.
Projected 2025 Dodgers lineup after Teoscar Hernandez re-signs with team
|
Batting Order |
Player |
Position |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Shohei Ohtani |
DH |
|
2 |
Mookie Betts |
SS |
|
3 |
Freddie Freeman |
1B |
|
4 |
Teoscar Hernandez |
LF |
|
5 |
Max Muncy |
3B |
|
6 |
Michael Conforto |
RF |
|
7 |
Tommy Edman |
CF |
|
8 |
Will Smith |
C |
|
9 |
Gavin Lux |
2B |
Given that the lineup is mostly the same as the one who just won the World Series, don’t expect to see many changes.
Shohei Ohtani should bat leadoff again, especially after winning the NL MVP by becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
Following him in the order would be Mookie Betts, who is expected to play shortstop in 2025, and Freddie Freeman, who won World Series MVP while dealing with an ankle injury.
Hernandez would return in the cleanup spot, one in which he thrived in during his first season with the Dodgers.
In the cleanup spot, Hernandez slashed .267/.337/.488, recording 15 home runs, 46 RBI, and 76 hits in 285 at-bats. Why move on from the lineup that won you a World Series? With that in mind, Max Muncy gets the No. 5 spot.
Now, it gets interesting, as Enrique Hernandez is not on the team currently.
With that, the No. 6 spot is open. So, let’s give that to new addition Michael Conforto, who slots in as their starting right fielder. Batting sixth, Conforto slashed .306/.434/.758, recording six home runs, 19 hits, and 21 RBI.
So to round out the lineup, we’ll go Edman seventh, Will Smith eighth, and Gavin Lux ninth, exactly how the bottom of the World Series Game 5 lineup looked.
This is the luxury the Dodgers have. Their batting lineup is stacked and locked in for the 2025 season after winning a World Series. Now, with Hernandez back, their chances of repeating remain high.
