It’s official: Kiké Hernández is coming back to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
An offseason that could not have been more sweet for a team coming off its eighth World Series title in franchise history just got infinitely sweeter.
Per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya on X, the fan favorite utility man is back in Dodger blue on a one-year deal, pending a physical.
It was unofficially announced on Hernández’s social media accounts with a somewhat cryptic post.
Hernández posted a video of highlights from the Dodgers’ 2024 championship run with the caption “Walking through the open door.”
The utility man also made an Instagram post with the same caption, but this time followed by #26th man.
With so much talent now signed with L.A., this brings up a great question as to who will be joining him on the active roster.
MLB only permits a 26-man roster from Opening Day through Aug. 31. Starting Sept. 1. through the end of the regular season, clubs are able to carry 28 players, with a limit of 14 pitchers.
With the core players obviously safe from not making the Opening Day team, a few outliers are now a part of a conversation about where they will end up when the 2025 campaign begins.
Hyeseong Kim, James Outman, Chris Taylor, and Andy Pages will seemingly be competing for two roster spots.
Taylor is an interesting case as he’s owed $15 million this season, his final year of a four-year, $60 million deal. Moreover, his contract has a $2 million assignment bonus with each trade, plus his 2026 option increases by $1 million if he’s traded after the 2024 season and before start of 2026 season.
Kim, the newly acquired KBO standout, is not going to be traded, but if he shows that his defensive prowess is enough to earn a roster spot amid the other offensive juggernauts in L.A., this will save him a stint of Triple-A play.
Outman already had an abysmal 2024 and was optioned to Triple-A last season. Pages, too, was optioned last season when Tommy Edman joined the ball club.
The Dodgers have 15 players fro 13 spots entering spring training. Assuming those issues don’t work themselves out, the Dodgers will have some tough decisions to make before Opening Day.
