After welcoming a flurry of new faces to the organization this offseason, the Dodgers brought back a much more familiar figure on Sunday.
The team and Kiké Hernández have agreed on a contract that will see the veteran utilityman re-sign with the club for its World Series defense in 2025, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Terms of the deal, which is still pending a physical, were not immediately clear. Hernández signaled the news himself by posting a video to social media Sunday afternoon, with the caption “walking through the open door.”
The Dodgers had indeed been leaving the door open to a reunion with Hernández this offseason, even amid their half-billion dollars of other signings in recent months.
And all along, the 33-year-old had his sights set on remaining with the team, having played a key role in their run to a title last October.
During the team’s fan fest event last week, both president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes said the Dodgers were still in talks with Hernández, even as he reportedly fielded interest from other teams, including the New York Yankees.
And now, unlike when he left Los Angeles after the Dodgers’ 2020 title, he will be back to try and help the team become MLB’s first repeat champion in a quarter-century.
