However in the intervening time, it appears extra doubtless that Hernández will keep put — in L.A., a minimum of.
“Proper now,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned Monday, “he is our proper fielder.”
There’s some room for interpretation in that response, though normal supervisor Brandon Gomes took a extra agency strategy to downplaying the commerce rumors.
“That does not really feel doubtless,” Gomes mentioned Monday. “Clearly, you possibly can by no means say by no means on these forms of issues, however Teo, I do know that is come up. That is not one thing we anticipate in any respect.”
What stays on the desk is the opportunity of Hernández shifting from proper discipline to left.
Hernández was value -9 outs above common in proper discipline this season, which ranked within the third percentile amongst certified Main Leaguers. His protection was a focus throughout a late August sequence in Colorado, notably after two hits fell in entrance of Hernández within the ninth inning of a surprising walk-off loss to the last-place Rockies.
On the time, Roberts referred to as the prospect of shifting Hernández from proper to left “a good query,” though the veteran outfielder finally remained in proper. From then on, Roberts mentioned he was extra inspired by the trouble he noticed from Hernández within the discipline, whilst he made an error and a number of other different misplays within the postseason.
“May he transfer to left? Probably,” Roberts mentioned. “However I’ll say from my eye take a look at … the final time we had been in Denver, from that time on, his proper discipline protection was a minimum of common. So for me, that was adequate with the bat potential.”
No matter which of the outfield corners Hernández performs in 2026, the Dodgers may stand so as to add one other outfielder this offseason. Hernández, Andy Pages, Alex Name and Tommy Edman will all return, with Ryan Ward and Esteury Ruiz additionally on the 40-man roster as depth choices.
Edman, who was principally restricted to enjoying the infield towards the tip of 2025 because of a nagging proper ankle harm, had an offseason process that might delay him early on in ’26. Gomes mentioned the staff does not “count on it to have an effect on a significant a part of the season” and believes he’ll be capable to go between the infield and outfield as soon as extra.
That leaves Pages because the Dodgers’ main middle fielder, a minimum of to start out the season. Pages acquitted himself effectively in middle with six outs above common in 2025, however his cannon of an arm may very well be much more of a weapon if he had been to shift to proper. Because the roster stands, that might not seem like within the playing cards except the Dodgers had been to amass another person able to enjoying middle.
“I believe the good thing about having Andy play the caliber of middle that he has makes it such that you do not essentially have to go that manner,” Gomes mentioned. “He is clearly double-plus in a nook, however he is an excellent middle fielder, which is a tough factor to go and purchase, both manner, free company or commerce. So realizing that he can try this simply permits us flexibility.”
Whichever course the Dodgers go, they’ve tempered expectations on the magnitude of the strikes they count on to make.
Within the earlier two offseasons, the Dodgers got here away with a haul, bringing in stars equivalent to Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell, amongst others. The staff nonetheless intends so as to add to the roster this winter, however any additions might not rise to the identical stage as in years previous.
“Clearly, there’s alternatives and potential alternatives to improve the roster, and we’re at all times sort of trying to try this,” Roberts mentioned. “However there’s actually no large splash we really feel must be made as a result of this staff remains to be centered and there is some discuss a three-peat. So this can be a centered staff.”
