Final Teoscar Hernández rumors showed Dodgers were threatened by familiar rival

On Dec. 27, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally re-signed Teoscar Hernández, as plenty of insiders and experts predicted they would.

It took quite a while to finish the deal, though. Reports that the Dodgers and Hernández were close to finalizing the contract surfaced as early as Dec. 4. Plenty of obstacles stood in LA's way of a reunion with one of 2024's most popular players, including a recent playoff foe.

The New York Mets were among the teams that showed interest in Hernández before his three-year, $66 million deal with Los Angeles. The Dodgers and Mets most recently met in the 2024 NLCS in a six-game slugfest that comprised four games with 10 or more runs scored.

Mike Puma of The New York Post reported after the Dodgers finished the deal that New York did not officially make an offer to Hernández, but did target him on a two-year deal. Tim Healey of Newsday Sports claimed in contrast that New York did make a two-year offer. The outfielder publicly hoped for a three-year contract and found one with the Dodgers, but the Mets told him he could return to them if his negotiations with LA fell through.

The Mets competed with the Dodgers to sign Teoscar Hernández

The Mets' outfield is pretty packed even without Hernández. Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, Tyrone Taylor, Jose Siri, Starling Marte and Juan Soto are all in the mix in New York's pastures. Steve Cohen could have pursued Hernández as a designated hitter option or moved Marte to DH to accommodate Hernández in the field, but unlike Soto, the Dodgers got to him first.

Hernández became a fast fan favorite in Los Angeles during the 2024 season, when his personality endeared him to the fanbase. He also mashed a career-high 33 homers for the Dodgers last season, which only helped his popularity. Hopefully, he has an even better year in 2025 and beyond, so LA can stick it to New York again.