The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t quite get the last-minute Christmas gift they were hoping for.
Sure, it’s hard to find much to complain about when you’re the defending World Series champions. But the holiday would have been much more cheery if left fielder Teoscar Hernández had re-signed with the Dodgers on a multi-year contract.
Though both the Dodgers and Hernández want to work things out, the two sides are still far apart. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported last week that the slugger is seeking a $22-24 million annual salary, which the Dodgers have so far balked at taking on.
If Hernández does leave, the Dodgers don’t necessarily have to find another corner outfielder, since they just signed Michael Conforto to a one-year contract. But they are still the Dodgers, and if the price is right for another All-Star free agent, LA just might bite.
In a recent YouTube video, MLB analyst Jim Riley predicted that the Dodgers would sign Anthony Santander, the All-Star right fielder for the Baltimore Orioles who put up a career-high 44 home runs in 2024.
“What if Santander hasn’t signed because he knows if Teoscar and the Dodgers can’t work this thing out, it’s me?” Riley said. “I’ll get more money and more years from the Dodgers?”
“I’m going to go Anthony Santander to the Dodgers as… a pivot move off of this Teoscar Hernández negotiation.”
Santander, 30, had a brilliant season for the Orioles, setting career-highs in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and OPS+ (not counting the shortened 2020 season). He’s also a switch-hitter, which could help the Dodgers avoid a platoon situation in the outfield.
The Athletic projects Santander for a $105 million contract, but there’s no indication yet that a team is willing to pay that number. If Santander’s price tag dips beneath Hernández’s, there’s no reason the Dodgers couldn’t consider signing him and saving a few dollars.
