Teoscar Hernández rejects Dodgers qualifying offer
Yesterday at 04:32 PM
Outfielder turns down $21.05 million offer from LA. Hernández can still sign with the Dodgers, but if he heads to another team, LA would receive a 2025 draft pick as compensation.
Free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández rejected the qualifying offer from the Dodgers on Tuesday, an expected maneuver that would net the team a compensatory draft pick should he sign elsewhere.
Hernández rejecting the qualifying offer — a one-year, $21.05 million deal that is derived from the average of the top 125 salaries in the previous season — in no way prevents him from returning to the Dodgers, and the two sides have expressed a willingness for the outfielder to remain in Los Angeles.
But if he should sign somewhere else, the Dodgers as a competitive balance tax payer would receive a compensatory pick in the 2025 draft directly after the fourth round.
The most recent Dodgers example of this came two offseasons ago, when Los Angeles received two compensatory selections after the fourth round in 2023 when Tyler Anderson signed with the Angels and Trea Turner signed with the Phillies. The Dodgers used those picks to draft outfielder Dylan Campbell and pitcher Eriq Swan, with the latter playing in the Arizona Fall League this year.
Hernández is a highly-regarded player on this offseason's hot stove market, ranked the 11th-best free agent available by The Athletic, FanGraphs, and MLB Trade Rumors, was rated 13th overall at ESPN, and slotted 15th at MLB.com.
Thirteen MLB players received a qualifying offer this year, and 12 of them rejected the overture. This year, pitcher Nick Martinez accepted to return to the Reds was the only player to accept.
In the 13 years of this qualifying offer system, only 14 of 144 MLB players have accepted the qualifying offer. The Dodgers have extended 13 qualifying offers, and two accepted the deal. Left-hander Brett Anderson returned in 2016 for one-year, $15.8 million, and pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu returned for $17.9 million in 2019.
Four others who rejected the qualifying offer re-signed with the Dodgers on new contracts — Howie Kendrick after the 2015 season, Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner after the 2016 season with an assist to Jansen's wedding, and Chris Taylor after the 2021 season.
