Giving the Los Angeles Dodgers the financial flexibility to build championship contenders was one of the motivations behind the massive deferments in Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million contract.
It would be a mistake if they let money get in the way of retaining one of their All-Stars in the offseason.
A projection from Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer has outfielder Teoscar Hernandez inking a four-year, $80 million free agent deal with the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers can't let him get out of LA for that price.
Hernandez has returned to form this season with the Dodgers after a couple of down years where his on-base and slugging percentages both dipped. He's on pace to match his career-high in home runs, and his ability to shine on the biggest stages has gotten LA a handful of key victories.
One example came Monday night in the Dodgers' series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Hernandez unloaded a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to give LA a 4-2 lead after they fell behind 2-0 in the second.
The Dodgers went on to win the game 5-3.
This isn't new, and it underscores Hernandez's importance to the Dodgers' lineup. It also underscores why they can't let him get away for $20 million per season across four years. Having a player like Hernandez in the middle of the lineup through his age 35 season makes a ton of sense for LA. He's a quality player who affects winning and won't cost them superstar money.
Ohtani wants to compete for championships. Hernandez would help him do it. That should an easy call for the Dodgers if that's what it takes to keep him.
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