Kiké Hernandez's stirring Instagram post isn't what Dodgers fans think it is

Though it's not a lock Kiké Hernandez returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's certainly less of a lock that he lands with a rival or one of the most hated teams in MLB. Hernandez has made it known he'll prioritize LA, and if that doesn't work out he'll carefully pick another contender in free agency.

With the Winter Meetings unofficially starting Sunday, the news and rumors will only intensify, which makes every whisper and every social media post matter that much more.

So Hernandez likely knew what he was doing when he shared a post to his Instagram story ... or maybe he was just as shocked as some other fans were.

LasMayores, the official MLB Spanish account, dropped a picture of Hernandez wearing a Houston Astros jersey on a thread titled, "Players from MLB with teams you would never imagine." And ... yeah! It's safe to say we would never imagine that!

But, more importantly, it didn't happen! Everyone just thought it did because Hernandez posted the picture with no context, either to troll fans or promote the LasMayores content.

No, Dodgers fans, Kiké Hernandez did not sign with the Houston Astros

Hey, there's former Dodger Pedro Martinez right above him! He lasted ... 67 games with LA before being traded after the 1993 season. Why are we being reminded of this?!

Nonetheless, the paranoia has been a bit real with Hernandez, who took "Dodgers" out of his social media bios last month. He figures to be valued in free agency due to his versatility, veteran experience and postseason performance. He powered the Dodgers to a World Series victory in 2024 with more heroics.

The Astros are in need of such a player, too. With Alex Bregman potentially departing, Houston must maintain its championship DNA. They could also use a bit more flexibility given their outfield alignment and eventual need for more reps in the infield.

Dodgers fans should remain on their toes, but they needn't worry at the moment. Hernandez likely has various suitors, but he hasn't signed with the Astros, and there's no doubt he'll be waiting around as long as possible for the Dodgers to come calling in free agency, because everybody knows that's where he wants to be.