Teoscar gets qualifying offer from Dodgers; Buehler does not
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LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers extended outfielder Teoscar Hernández a qualifying offer before Monday’s 2 p.m. PT deadline. Hernández now has until 1 p.m. PT on Nov. 19 to come to a decision, though he is widely expected to decline the offer, which is worth $21.05 million this season.
If -- or in this case, when -- Hernández declines the offer, the Dodgers will get a comp pick in the 2025 MLB Draft if he is signed by another team.
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After setting a career high with 33 homers and playing a key role on the Dodgers’ World Series team, the Dominican outfielder should sign a multi-year deal in the open market. Hernández has been vocal about making it clear that he would like to remain with the Dodgers in the long term.
“My hopes are really high,” Hernández said last week. “Like I’ve said before, the Dodgers are the priority, obviously. I’m going to do everything in my power to come back.”
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Hernández and the Dodgers didn’t have any advanced talks during the season, but the two sides are expected to engage over the next couple of weeks. The 32-year-old, of course, will have plenty of suitors coming off his bounce-back season.
While extending Hernández a qualifying offer was a no-brainer for the Dodgers, not doing the same for right-hander Walker Buehler came as a bit of a surprise.
Buehler struggled during the regular season, posting a 5.38 ERA. He has already undergone two Tommy John surgeries, which is naturally a big concern. But as poor as Buehler was during the regular season, he really shined in the postseason. He was solid in two of his three postseason starts and recorded the last three outs in the championship-clinching win in Game 5 of the World Series against the Yankees.
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In the end, the Dodgers ultimately determined giving Buehler a $21.05 million deal, which is certainly above what he would get in the open market, wasn’t worth it at this point in the offseason.
The Dodgers, however, will be very involved in the starting pitching market this winter and the two sides will remain engaged about a potential reunion.