![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2564612\/andrew-friedman-dave-roberts.jpg?w=1200&f=75fa75216ec4068813f797d2374640eb\")
<\/p>\nThe Los Angeles Dodgers remain focused on adding Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki in free agency, but that’s not the only move they can make to solidify the roster.<\/p>\n
While the Dodgers have a majority of the team’s World Series-winning core returning in 2025, there’s one player who Valentina Martinez of dodgersnation.com thinks L.A. needs to bring back before the 2025 season gets underway: Utility man Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n
Hern\u00e1ndez, 33, has had two tenures with the Dodgers. His first tenure with Los Angeles came from 2015-20, where he was an integral part of the core as they started their dominant run in the National League West.<\/p>\n
The Dodgers won their first World Series championship this century in Hern\u00e1ndez’s final season with the team in 2020.<\/p>\n
After a brief stint with the Boston Red Sox, the Dodgers re-acquired Hern\u00e1ndez at the 2023 trade deadline.<\/p>\n
They then re-signed him ahead of the 2024 season to a one-year, $4 million deal and he had a late-season resurgence, appearing in 126 games and slashing .229\/.281\/.373 with 12 home runs and 42 runs batted in.<\/p>\n
Hern\u00e1ndez shows his value in October, though, as he’s one of the best postseason performers in the league.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In 14 games this postseason, Hern\u00e1ndez hit two home runs and drove in six RBIs while sporting an OPS of .808. In his career, he’s played in 86 postseason games and has an OPS of .874 with 15 home runs, which ranks tied for 20th all-time.<\/p>\n
Hern\u00e1ndez also proves his value by being a utility player. Martinez explains just how valuable Hern\u00e1ndez was to the Dodgers in 2024.<\/p>\n
“The beauty of Hern\u00e1ndez is his versatility. He can play practically anywhere for the Dodgers, and did so throughout an injury-plagued 2024 season,” Martinez wrote.<\/p>\n
“When Max Muncy dealt with an oblique injury, Hern\u00e1ndez played third. When Freddie Freeman missed time, Hern\u00e1ndez played first. When the Dodgers needed an outfielder, Hern\u00e1ndez was there. When there were no more relievers in the bullpen, Hern\u00e1ndez even took the mound.”<\/em><\/p>\n Hern\u00e1ndez has played every single position except catcher in his MLB career, and has logged at least 700 innings at second base, shortstop, third base, left field, and center field.<\/p>\n On top of his versatility and dominance in October, he’s a fan favorite in Los Angeles and a great presence in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n At a fan event shortly after the World Series in which seemingly over 1,000 Dodger fans showed up at a Raising Canes, Hern\u00e1ndez made his intentions clear about a potential return in free agency.<\/p>\n “I really, really hope that I’m back next year so we can run it back, so make sure you guys talk to (Andrew) Friedman and those guys,” Hern\u00e1ndez said.<\/em><\/p>\n On top of his versatility and dominance in October, he’s a fan favorite in Los Angeles and a great presence in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n At a fan event shortly after the World Series in which seemingly over 1,000 Dodger fans showed up at a Raising Canes, Hern\u00e1ndez made his intentions clear about a potential return in free agency.<\/p>\n “I really, really hope that I’m back next year so we can run it back, so make sure you guys talk to (Andrew) Friedman and those guys,” Hern\u00e1ndez said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Los Angeles Dodgers remain focused on adding Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki in free agency, but that’s not the only move they can make to solidify the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n