Hernandez signing could be finishing touch in OF

The Dodgers’ signing of Teoscar Hernandez seems to complete their 2024 lineup — and put an end to Mookie Betts’ time in right field.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in December that he had spoken to Betts and told him the six-time Gold Glove winner in right field would be the Dodgers’ everyday second baseman in 2024. At the time, general manager Brandon Gomes hesitated to portray the change as a certainty, saying the expectation was Betts would move between second base and right field as he did during the second half of the 2023 season.

But the addition of Hernandez to an outfield mix that also includes fellow right-handed hitters Chris Taylor and Manuel Margot has all but eliminated the need for Betts to move out to right field as a platoon partner for left-handed Jason Heyward.

“This is certainly an addition where it feels like Mookie will be playing the vast majority of second base,” Gomes said Tuesday. “It’s ‘TBD’ on if he’ll be needed in the outfield or not. But it certainly feels like less of a need than it was prior to this.”

Hernandez could play left field or right field at times, but he is expected to be “an everyday guy” despite career splits that favor platooning him against left-handed pitching.

“We certainly view Teo as an everyday outfielder for us,” Gomes said.

“These are the things that we want to continue to talk through as everybody gets settled. But it could be that Teo goes into right on the days that Jason’s not playing, and we have some combination of Margot, CT elsewhere. So we have different options there, which is really helpful.”

Hernandez said he didn’t have many choices on this winter’s slow-moving free agent market and didn’t expect to sign a one-year deal. But the opportunity to play for a championship contender and a team “that makes me a better player” led him to sign with the Dodgers.

“When the offseason started, in my mind I wanted to sign a multiyear deal, like every free agent. But everyone knows how hard it’s been this winter,” Hernandez said. “I had more choices, but I think this was best for me and my family. I’d rather take one year with the Dodgers and go to a team that is gonna make me better and hopefully everything goes well and we can win everything this year and see what happens next year.”

Hernandez’s one-year, $23 million contract includes just $15 million in salary this year with the rest deferred until 2030-39, a move aimed at lessening the impact on this year’s payroll. Even with that, the Dodgers’ 2024 payroll is now projected to top $300 million.

“I think every player wants to get all the money in the same year, but everyone knows the Dodgers are a little over the luxury tax,” Hernandez said. “So that was one of the options they gave me, they put it in my hands, and I decided to do it like that.”