Dodgers re-sign Teoscar Hernández and contract details were quickly revealed

After months of stalling, impasses, and some reported conflict about money involved, Teoscar Hernández has finally made a decision coming out of free agency. To no one's shock but to everyone's relief, he'll be rejoining the Dodgers on a three-year, $66 million deal.

Chris Cotillo broke the news on Friday afternoon, and Jeff Passan quickly followed up with the details. The deal includes an option worth $15 million for a fourth year and a $23 million signing bonus. Because the Dodgers are the Dodgers, and any deal they make is more likely to include deferrals than not, $23 million of his total will be deferred.

Hernández also broke the news himself on Instagram, posting just the words "I'm back" along with a blue heart on his story. Although that probably had some Blue Jays fans prematurely excited, Cotillo's report followed after to confirm: he's coming back to the LA.

Teoscar Hernández re-signs with Dodgers for three years, $66 million after prolonged free agency

The hold up between Hernández and the Dodgers, despite a concerted effort on both sides to get Hernández back in Dodger blue, was reportedly about money. The total $66 million, or $22 million per year, does seem to reflect that; it falls on the lower end of the $22-24 million range he was reportedly asking for.

It's also lower than most projections guessed he would earn — The Athletic predicted three years and $72 million, Spotrac had three years and $73 million — but three years was never really in doubt. It's unclear whether the option in his deal is the club's, the player's, or mutual, but a club option seems likely, given that Hernández will be going into his age-36 year by 2028.

The Blue Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox all expressed interest in Hernández, and there was some not-unfounded fear that the longer the Dodgers dragged their feet on re-signing him, the longer other clubs would have to make a play and offer what the Dodgers were unwilling to. However, both Brandon Gomes and Andrew Friedman made it clear at various points in the offseason that re-signing him was a priority, and the general consensus never really wavered from the belief that he would return to LA.

For Dodgers fans, who just had to watch Walker Buehler walk away in free agency, Hernández's return should make everyone breathe a long sigh of relief. With him back, the World Series-winning 2024 core remains almost entirely intact.