The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the offseason weighing a potential trade of outfielder Teoscar Hernandez after the Milwaukee Brewers swept them in the National League Championship Series and ended their bid for a third straight World Series title.
Hernandez, 34, hit .267 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs in 125 games during the 2026 regular season, posting a .759 OPS. Those numbers marked a clear drop from his 2024 campaign, when he hit 33 home runs and drove in 99 runs while helping the Dodgers win the World Series.
In a FanSided analysis published after the postseason, Zachary Rotman predicted the Dodgers would move Hernandez this winter.
“There’re a couple of reasons why it makes sense to move him, though. First, he’s simply not worth the $17 million he’s owed in 2027 after the year he just had. He still mashes left-handed pitching, but he had a subpar .695 OPS against righties in the regular season and is a very poor defensive outfielder. It’s hard to justify playing him regularly on a team trying to contend,” Rotman wrote.
“Second, and perhaps most importantly, the Dodgers need to find a spot for top prospect Josue De Paula to play regularly.”
Hernandez signed a three-year, $66 million extension before the 2025 season. He is owed roughly $17 million in 2027, the final guaranteed year, with a club option worth about $15 million for 2028. The Dodgers floated him in trade talks last winter before ultimately keeping him and shifting him to left field to accommodate the addition of Kyle Tucker.
Against right-handed pitching in 2026, Hernandez hit .252 with a .387 slugging percentage. He performed better against left-handers, batting .303 with a higher OPS. Defensively, he has long graded as below average in the outfield, a factor that limited his everyday role on a contending roster.
De Paula, a 21-year-old outfield prospect, appeared in 11 major-league games in 2026 and made both the NLDS and NLCS rosters. He posted strong numbers in the minors, including a high OPS in a brief big-league stint, and represents one of several young outfielders in the Dodgers system who could need regular playing time next year.
The Athletic has also identified Hernandez as the most logical high-profile trade candidate for a club looking to get younger. The Dodgers carried one of the oldest position-player groups in the majors in 2026, and most of their core veterans remain under contract beyond next season. Creating a path for De Paula while shedding salary fits that broader aim.
Hernandez still brings right-handed power and a track record of 25 or more home runs in most full seasons from 2021 through 2025. Contenders seeking a short-term bat at left field or designated hitter could view him as a bounce-back candidate on a one-year commitment. The Dodgers, who are expected to lose several pitchers to free agency, could target controlled arms or bullpen depth in return.
Trading a two-time All-Star who contributed to back-to-back titles carries risk if Hernandez rebounds elsewhere. At the same time, keeping him could crowd the outfield picture with De Paula, Andy Pages, and Tucker already in the mix.
The Dodgers have not confirmed any plans to move him, but the combination of his 2026 production, contract, and the rise of younger players has placed him at the center of early offseason discussions.
