Could the Cardinals sign Enrique Hernandez for 2025?

10/25/2024 08:00 AM

Yesterday, I was thinking about potential offseason targets for the Cardinals that could be within their price range. Mind you, nothing sexy is going to happen this winter. If the Cardinals sign anybody, the moves will be for value free agents.

The biggest possible move the Cardinals could make in my opinion would be to sign Michael Wacha if Sonny Gray is traded, and even that's a stretch.

But I was thinking more along the line of position players, and I realized that there is one that could be of use that is tearing it with the Dodgers in the postseason. Enter Enrique Hernandez.

Hernandez has spent most of his career with the Dodgers and has been used as a super utilityman. He can play almost anywhere on the field and is a right-handed bat with a little bit of power.

Think of him similar to Brendan Donovan, but as a right-handed hitter. With the Cardinals expected to cut costs this winter and trade some key players, there might actually be an everyday fit for him here in St. Louis.

The Dodgers have a lot of infield depth, so it's possible that he may not be brought back this coming winter. But I actually like the idea of him being a Cardinals target. Nolan Arenado could be on the way out, so they could put Hernandez at third base.

The regular season numbers weren't great for the super utilityman. He hit just .229 with a .654 OPS, though he did hit 12 home runs and drive in 42 runs. It's the postseason where he often shines.

This October, Hernandez is hitting .303 with two bombs, five RBI and an .863 OPS. It's also worth noting that back in 2017, he had a three-homer game in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Cubs.

He also hit 20 home runs as an everyday player for the Red Sox in 2021, so there is power in that bat.

The 33-year-old shouldn't be too expensive. Perhaps the Cardinals could give him something in the neighborhood of two years and $10 million. It's not sexy, but it is a move that would help the Cardinals out, and I actually would prefer this to them signing Justin Turner or J.D. Martinez. Both those guys are old, and Hernandez can play more than one position.

And if the Cardinals are out of contention by the trade deadline, they could potentially shop Hernandez to a contender, as plenty of teams will value his versatility.