Dodgers’ Updated Lineup, Payroll After Teoscar Hernández’s Reported $23.5M Contract

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The Los Angeles Dodgers’ busy offseason continued on Sunday night, as the team signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández to a one-year contract worth $23.5 million.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, $8.5 million of Hernández’s deal will be deferred and paid out from 2030 to 2039.

Here’s what the Dodgers’ lineup could look at the start of the 2024 season after adding the former All-Star.

1. Mookie Betts, 2B

2. Freddie Freeman, 1B

3. Shohei Ohtani, DH

4. Will Smith, C

5. Max Muncy, 3B

6. James Outman, CF

7. Teoscar Hernández, LF

8. Jason Heyward, RF

9. Gavin Lux, SS

Hernández has remained consistently productive at the plate in recent years, hitting at least 25 home runs and 77 RBIs in each of his past three seasons. Although he struck out a career-high 211 times in 2023, the 31-year-old still hit a modest .258 with 93 runs batted in.

The Dodgers have remained active in free agency after signing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking $700 million contract on Dec. 9. The structure of Ohtani’s deal was similar to Hernández’s, as $680 million will be deferred until the end of his 10-year agreement with Los Angeles.

This gave the Dodgers more financial flexibility to make another notable move, signing Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year contract worth $325 million less than two weeks later. Per Spotrac, Los Angeles now has a projected total payroll of just over $213 million with Hernández’s deal factored in.

The Dodgers have also been active on the trade market, acquiring starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays. Since 2021, Glasnow has posted a 3.10 ERA in 37 starts while striking out 295 batters in 214.2 innings pitched.

Los Angeles’ front office has made a concerted effort to upgrade its starting rotation as well as the lineup around Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman following a disappointing sweep in the National League division series at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Despite recording 317 wins in three seasons since the team’s World Series victory in 2020, the Dodgers have advanced past the NLDS just once. With the marquee additions of Ohtani and Yamamoto while acquiring Hernández to bolster Los Angeles’ lineup, manager Dave Roberts should expect postseason success from his team.