The love between the Dodgers faithful and utility man Kiké Hernandez is strong.
After the Dodgers secured their second consecutive World Series title, Hernandez clearly enjoyed himself at the championship parade, dedicating the title to the fans who showed up from the start of the season until its exciting finale.
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“These Dodger fans, I hope they have a lot of fun, because they deserve this,” Hernandez said to SNLA’s Kirsten Watson. “They showed up everyday. They showed up in Tokyo, they showed up in the US, they showed up in Canada, they showed up all year long. They supported us and here we are, back-to-back champs. They deserve it. This is for the city of LA.”
Hernandez has consistently shown up for the Dodgers in the postseason and this year was no exception. With seven RBIs and a .250 postseason batting average, Hernandez helped power the Dodgers through one of the most dramatic World Series of this century.
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“These are the games I live for,” Hernandez said before Game 1 of the World Series. “In life, you get put on the planet to do certain things. And for me, I feel like I was put on this planet to love my family, make people laugh and play October baseball.”
Now, the Dodgers and Hernandez have a serious decision to make, as the veteran played on a one-year, $6.5 million deal in 2025 and is currently a free agent.
Hernandez has been vocal about wanting to return to Los Angeles, and the Dodgers likely feel similarly about a player who has played above his salary in each of his three past seasons with the team.
Because of his impact as a clubhouse leader and his stepped-up game in October, Dodgers Nation reporter Noah Camras predicts Hernandez will sign a similar deal as last season, earning a one-year, $7 million deal to return to the Dodgers.
For an organization that is proven to be willing to spend in order to succeed, $7 million is a small price to pay for a key piece of the back-to-back World Series champions’ roster as well as the Dodgers team that won the Fall Classic in 2020.
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