Dodgers appear ready to trick fans again as Teoscar Hernandez trade rumors intensify

The Dodgers' Edwin Díaz signing confirmed what baseball fans already know but still somehow managed to take us by surprise: baseball executives lie.

Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes (with some help from Dave Roberts) stuck to the same position before signing Díaz. The Dodgers have a very complete roster as it is, and they didn't feel like they needed to make a big splash.

How's signing the most highly coveted free agent closer on the market for a splash?

So when Gomes said on some recent Teoscar Hernández rumors, "That's not something we anticipate at all," Dodgers fans knew to remain a little skeptical.

Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo of The Athletic did some reporting that almost directly contradicted Gomes' claim, just two days after he made it. They wrote, "The Dodgers continue to 'kick the tires' on trading Teoscar Hernández," and added an actual name to watch: the Royals, who have "coveted a offense-first outfielder."

The Royals certainly aren't a team Dodgers fans expected, nor one that they interface with very often, but Kansas City has shown interest in free agents Harrison Bader and Austin Hays already this offseason.

Insiders name Royals as a team to watch in a potential Dodgers Teoscar Hernández trade

Ken Rosenthal first reported that Hernández's name had come up in trade conversations, and Bob Nightengale took it a step further when he wrote that the Dodgers were actively shopping him. Putting an actual team to the rumors gives them an extra measure of validity and, certainly, a roster and prospect pipeline for Dodgers fans to pick apart while brainstorming potential returns for Hernández.

It's fair to wonder if Kansas City actually has the juice to make a trade like this happen. The Dodgers could target a handful of controllable bullpen options like Carlos Estévez or Lucas Erceg, but LA's other big need for the offseason — outfielders — isn't a problem that the Royals can help with unless they were to deal Jac Caglianone, which definitely isn't happening.

A couple of prospects from the Royals' top-15 could get the job done. They're rife with pitching talent from Nos. 6 to No. 15, and the Dodgers are lacking that in their own system.

It's likely that if the Royals are willing to pay what's left on Hernández's deal — two years and $31.63 million with $17 million in deferrals — then there are others willing to increase payroll to take him on.

The Dodgers can take their time on moving him if they move him at all, but this could be a "where there's smoke, there's fire" situation with the way things have escalated so quickly.