Dodgers Rumors: Possible Teoscar Hernandez trade timeline, possible bullpen targets

If you’re waiting for the Los Angeles Dodgers to make another splash, Fabian Ardaya’s latest update in The Athletic (subscription required) is a reminder of how calculated this front office really is.

Yes, the Dodgers are still “kicking the tires” on a potential Teoscar Hernández trade. No, that doesn’t mean they’re desperate to move him. This is about leverage and timing.

Ardaya reports that teams like the Kansas City Royals have checked in on Hernández, while the Philadelphia Phillies are effectively out after landing Adolis García as a cheaper alternative. With the market thinning — Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso already off the board — Hernández sits in a fascinating spot.

There simply aren’t many right-handed power outfielders who can replicate Hernández's production. That scarcity cuts both ways: it’s why teams keep calling, and it’s exactly why the Dodgers are perfectly comfortable holding onto him.

The expectation? If a Hernández trade happens at all, it likely comes later in the offseason — around the moment clubs strike out on bigger names like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger and pivot toward the next best bat available. Until then, Los Angeles has no incentive to rush.

And that’s especially true because the Dodgers themselves are still open to adding another position player. Listening doesn’t equal selling — it equals optionality.

Dodgers News: No more major external bullpen additions expected this offseason

Where the Dodgers are more likely done shopping this winter? The bullpen. Don't expect another Edwin Díaz-level addition (not that there are many of those readily available to begin with).

According to Ardaya, the front office expects its major external bullpen moves to already be in the books. That doesn’t rule out a sneaky trade or a spring training surprise arm, but the heavy lifting appears complete. Internal depth and camp competition will likely decide the final spots.

A reunion with Evan Phillips (expected back midseason) remains on the radar, and Michael Kopech could still be a fallback if his market collapses — but those feel more like contingencies than priorities at this juncture.

This is classic Dodgers baseball ops: stay flexible, extract value if the market demands it, and never force a move just to make noise. Hernández might get traded. He might not. Either way, Los Angeles is operating from a position of strength — and the bullpen, not the outfield, is where this offseason was always going to be decided.