The Los Angeles Dodgers stay the No. 1 selection for All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández in free company, however the two sides stay aside in contract negotiations, a supply conversant in the negotiations instructed Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain which he solely shared on the Dodgers Dougout Stay Podcast Thursday night time.
Hernández desires to re-sign with the Dodgers — as he has for the previous couple of months — however the two sides stay aside on the typical annual worth and the signing bonus, per a supply. Furthermore, Hernández doesn’t need any deferrals in his contract.
Whereas the Dodgers stay Hernández’s desire, the brand new No. 2 staff within the race is the Toronto Blue Jays.
Hernández is presently in Florida figuring out with Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and would welcome a return to Toronto. Whereas the Dodgers preserve their standing as the favourite, Hernández would contemplate becoming a member of Toronto if their supply was considerably higher — or, say, had a fourth yr. Since Hernández has a qualifying supply hooked up to him, although, any non-Dodgers staff that indicators him would lose a draft choose.
Whereas the Dodgers and Blue Jays stay the highest two candidates to signal Hernández, there are different groups concerned. The Boston Pink Sox stay a chance to signal Hernández. The New York Yankees stay concerned, nonetheless, they’re prioritizing a left-handed bat, sources say.
Whereas these 4 groups have been recognized to be in on Hernández, Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain has realized that two extra groups have an interest — and each are within the Nationwide League.
The Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies have checked in on Hernández, nonetheless sources say there hasn’t been a lot progress made on both staff.
So, there at the moment are six groups within the Hernández sweepstakes: Dodgers, Blue Jays, Pink Sox, Yankees, Phillies, and Reds. The primary three groups have all made formal provides to Hernández, McKain has realized.
This week on the Winter Conferences, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts made it recognized he wished the staff to re-sign Hernández.
“It could be powerful,” Roberts stated when requested about probably shedding and changing Hernández. “Clearly I’m an enormous fan of Teo. We now have an ideal relationship. His phrases, he beloved every thing about being a Dodger, and I’m at all times going to be a Teo fan. There’s not an entire lot of fellows that may begin 157, 158 ballgames and put up after which to be that productive. You then layer on being in a giant market, serving to us win a championship. So these gamers don’t come round fairly often. …
“It could be onerous for me to not see him coming again.”
Whereas Roberts didn’t disguise his emotions of wanting Hernández again, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was understandably somewhat extra subdued in his response.
“Whereas we’re hopeful, on the identical time, if he finally ends up signing elsewhere, now we have no selection however to want him properly and on a private stage we’ll be actually completely happy for him and professionally not a lot,” Friedman stated.
“He had a very good yr. He put himself in an ideal place and I do know he has talked about eager to (re-sign), and I do know that now we have talked about him eager to, and he and his household get to undergo the curiosity and determine what makes essentially the most sense for them.”
Whereas Hernández in the end desires to remain in Los Angeles, there’s no present timeline for a deal to be consummated. Nonetheless, at any second, he might obtain a proposal from a staff that pushes it throughout the end line — whether or not it’s from the Dodgers or another person.
Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain contributed to this report.
Photograph Credit score: Denis Poroy-Imagn Pictures
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