The Los Angeles Dodgers are chasing a three-peat in 2026, and it’s unclear who from their championship core will remain on the roster.
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One possible candidate to depart from LA is outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who the Dodgers have involved in trade discussions this offseason.
According to The Athletic’s Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya, the Kansas City Royals have interest in trading for Hernandez.
“The Kansas City Royals have coveted an offense-first outfielder, and have interest in Hernández, a league source said,” Woo and Ardaya write.
Still, the fact remains that general manager Brandon Gomes said the Dodgers trading Hernandez is unlikely.
“Obviously, you can never say never on those kinds of things … but that’s not something we anticipate at all,” Gomes said at the Winter Meetings.
The 33-year-old didn’t have as strong a season at the plate in 2025, recording a .738 OPS following his All-Star season the previous year. In 2024, Hernandez hit a career-high 33 home runs with a career-best 4.3 WAR.
The outfielder’s defense was well below average in 2025, ranking in the bottom six percent in MLB. Hernandez posted a minus-9 outs above average.
Manager Dave Roberts also spoke on Hernandez this week amid the trade rumors, and made it clear how vital he was for the Dodgers in the past two seasons.
“Teo certainly fits, he’s helped us win two championships. He’s one of my favorites,” Roberts said of Hernandez.
“Could he move to left? Potentially, but I will say, from my eye test, the last game in Colorado, the last time we were in Denver, from that point on his right field defense was at least average. And so for me, that was sufficient with the bat potential. I do think that with the versatility potentially and how we shape this roster there are some options.
“But right now, he’s our right fielder.”
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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