Most brokers representing MLB gamers don’t publicly gloat. However most brokers don’t take the warmth from their colleagues that Rafa Nieves apparently did when he negotiated a one-year, $23.5-million deal for Teoscar Hernández with the Dodgers final offseason.
Nieves, who has accrued a star-studded clientele of primarily Latino gamers, answered his critics with a fact-packed X submit that he believes exonerates his illustration of the Dodgers left fielder: “9 months ago every agent criticized me and Teo for taking a 1-year deal. The truth is, the market was soft for everyone, and he was coming off a down year while playing in a very pitcher friendly environment.
“We were looking for a 3-year deal, and while reading the market and realizing that deal might not exist, I asked him what his priority was and he said he wanted to win and play deep into October, so we pivoted and focused on getting the best short term deal on the best team interested.”
Right here we’re, deep into October, and Hernández and the Dodgers are nonetheless enjoying after he established profession highs in house runs (33), complete bases (295) and wins above substitute (4.3). He was an All-Star and House Run Derby champion. And he seemingly set a document for many sunflower seeds tossed on teammates after house runs.
“Everybody was saying it was a bad deal because it was a one-year deal, but for me what is important is to get better and win. I’m glad that I’m here,” Hernández instructed the Athletic.
His .272/.339/.501 slash line is a major enchancment from the ho-hum .258/.305/.435 line he posted with the Mariners final season. Hernández offered the Dodgers with a constant energy bat behind the large three of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman all season, driving in 99 runs.
His manufacturing hasn’t slowed within the playoffs — he’s added two homers and 7 runs batted in. Hernández was already desirous about the postseason when requested in June about coming via below stress.
“You feel the adrenaline, and you obviously get up for those kinds of games, when you play in the big moments, the big situations,” Hernández instructed The Occasions. “But I try to be the same guy, to be myself, and to not put pressure on myself. I’m not trying to do too much, because that’s when everything starts to go the opposite way that you want it to go.”
Getting into free company for the primary time final offseason, Hernández was projected by MLB Commerce Rumors to get a four-year, $80-million provide. Outfielders with comparable resumes equivalent to Marcell Ozuna, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos had landed four- to five-year offers value $64 million, $79 million and $100 million, respectively.
However the market stalled out — see Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery — and Hernández was compelled to decide on between a two-year, $28-million provide from the Boston Purple Sox and the Dodgers’ one-year pact, which paid solely $15 million in 2024 with the remaining $8.5 million issued in 10 installments between 2030-39.
Presumably, Hernández can be in a stronger place when he reenters the free-agent market in November. He instructed reporters that he has not had in-season discussions with the Dodgers relating to an extension, however that he isn’t sweating it.
Neither is Nieves, if the tone of his social media submit is a sign. After checking off containers subsequent to his consumer’s statistical accomplishments, Nieves wrote: “He will win his 3rd Silver Slugger, and will probably get some MVP votes. On top of that, he made more money this year than he would have made on that 3-year deal and now he will go back out on the market after a career year.
“Who’s laughing now?”
Hernández!
“I’m always laughing. I rarely get mad,” he instructed The Occasions. “You can go around and ask people, ‘Have you ever seen Teo mad?’ I don’t think they’re gonna say yes. Everybody knows the way I play on the field and act off the field. I’m the same person. I just like to bring joy and happiness to everybody so they can feel good and relax.”
