{"id":19467,"date":"2025-01-15T09:01:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T09:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=19467"},"modified":"2025-01-15T09:01:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T09:01:50","slug":"dodgers-urged-to-sign-4-million-world-series-champion-in-blockbuster-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=19467","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers Urged to Sign $4 Million World Series Champion in Blockbuster Move"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain focused on\u00a0adding Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki<\/a>\u00a0in free agency, but that’s not the only move they can make to solidify the roster.<\/p>\n

While the Dodgers have a majority of the team’s World Series-winning core returning in 2025, there’s one player who\u00a0Valentina Martinez of dodgersnation.com<\/a> thinks L.A. needs to bring back before the 2025 season gets underway: Utility man Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n

Hern\u00e1ndez, 33, has had two tenures with the Dodgers. His first tenure with Los Angeles came from 2015-20, where he was an integral part of the core as they started their dominant run in the National League West.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers won their first World Series championship this century in Hern\u00e1ndez’s final season with the team in 2020.<\/p>\n

After a brief stint with the Boston Red Sox, the Dodgers re-acquired Hern\u00e1ndez at the 2023 trade deadline. They then re-signed him ahead of the 2024 season to a one-year, $4 million deal and he had a late-season resurgence, appearing in 126 games and slashing .229\/.281\/.373 with 12 home runs and 42 runs batted in.<\/p>\n

Hern\u00e1ndez shows his value in October, though, as he’s one of the best postseason performers in the league.<\/p>\n

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\"Andrew<\/picture><\/div>
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 05: Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations and manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talk on the field before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Angels…<\/span>\u00a0