Kiké Hernández makes it clear where he wants to end up as Dodgers roster gets crowded

Of all the players who left the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency this year, some fans want Kiké Hernández back more than any of them.

Hernández has been a fan favorite for the better part of a decade, even when he was a Red Sox for two years and some change after the Dodgers' World Series victory in 2020. He only cemented that reputation with his showing during LA's championship celebration at Dodger Stadium.

His unexpected return to the club in 2024 was a welcome one — especially when he'd already fielded interest from rivals like the Padres, Giants, and Yankees — but during the regular season, he put up one of the worst showings of his career at the plate, with a .229 average and .654 OPS. However, his postseason god status returned in October, when he boasted the Dodgers' second-best average and fourth-best OPS, topping both Teoscar Hernández and Shohei Ohtani.

Clearly something different switches on for him in October, but is it enough for the Dodgers to bring him back?

Hernández made it clear what his priority is: get back to LA. He said as much in a new interview with The Shop, saying, "The main priority for me is probably coming back. The Dodgers are very well-positioned to make another run."

Kiké Hernández made it clear he wants to come back to the Dodgers, but there may not be room for him

The Dodgers roster is currently full at 40 players, but there are a couple of easy cuts that could be made if they want to make room for Hernández (Michael Grove, Diego Cartaya, Justin Wrobleski). LA might also need to make cuts for Teoscar Hernández, Tanner Scott, or whatever other free agents it might pursue to bolster the roster.

The bench next season is likely to consist of Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, Andy Pages, Austin Barnes, and maybe James Outman. Hernández would be an easy replacement for Outman if he can't shape up after almost an entire year spent in the minors, and Hernández has the added benefit of being a player the Dodgers could move to pretty much any part of the field.

However, Hernández is saddled with the same problem that's probably keeping the Dodgers away from Walker Buehler in his free agency: bad regular season performance, great postseason performance. The Dodgers might be able to make space for Hernández, but they'll have to contend with those pros and cons before bringing him back.