ESPN Insider Believes Kiké Hernandez's Time With Dodgers is Over

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernandez (8) reacts to a play during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Although the Los Angeles Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, the organization has surpassed all others in the offseason.

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There is now no shortage of talent in Los Angeles, from the starting rotation to the lineup to the bullpen. The Dodgers truly look invincible.

The Dodgers could not keep the entire 2024 group of players together, though, as the club hoped to add more talent this winter. Key pieces of the Dodgers' World Series run such as Walker Buehler and Gavin Lux are with new teams.

ESPN's David Schoenfield believes another fan favorite won't be wearing Dodger blue next season: Kiké Hernández.

"Hernandez had some nice moments for the Dodgers in the postseason, but his OPS+ over the past three seasons is just 78, and their signing of Hyeseong Kim pushes him out of L.A," Schoenfield wrote.

When the Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim, there was speculation it could impact a potential reunion with Hernández. Kim was reportedly going to fill a super utility role for the Dodgers, but then Lux was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, seemingly opening the door for Hernández.

However, Schoenfield may have a point. The Dodgers didn't even have enough room on the 40-man roster for their most recent signing, reliever Kirby Yates, and had to designate Ryan Brasier for assignment. The reigning World Series champions are also expected to bring back veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw.

While Hernández may not bring the best stat line to the team, his energy is invaluable for the Dodgers. ESPN's Buster Olney thinks Hernández is crucial for the Dodgers' success in 2025.

“The season is so long. I think that if you’re a fan and you look at the players and you tune into one game and you imagine them having the same intensity that you did when you played little league, it’s not that way," Olney told Dodgers Nation's Doug McKain. "This is their daily job and they go through ups and downs like the rest of us do where some days you’re really into it and some days you’re not really into it. And so to have personalities that bring energy to the park like Kiké, that’s incredibly important.

“I think you absolutely have to pick the right personalities for those spots at the end of your roster.”

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