Enrique Hernandez is not leaving Los Angeles.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Monday that the veteran utlityman has decided to return to the Dodgers. Hernandez, 32, will be getting a new one-year contract from the team in free agency.
A beloved Dodgers fan favorite, Hernandez played for the Dodgers from 2015-20 and won the 2020 World Series with them. After leaving in 2021 to sign with the Boston Red Sox, Hernandez returned for a second stint with the Dodgers at last year’s trade deadline.
Regardless of the history, Hernandez coming back for a new contract with the Dodgers is a surprise since there were four finalists recently named for his services (of which the Dodgers were not one). But there had been a material change since then as the Dodgers just opened up a spot in the outfield by making a trade earlier in the day on Monday.
The versatile righty-hitting Hernandez should now have plenty of opportunity to contribute to the Dodgers in 2024 (and also offer more memorable moments to the fans).
More must-reads: