Dodgers not done bolstering 'pen after re-signing Treinen (report)

December 10th, 2024

MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest free-agent and trade rumors involving the Dodgers right here.

Dec. 9: Dodgers not done bolstering bullpen after re-signing Treinen (report)
Veteran reliever Blake Treinen is back with the Dodgers on a two-year, $22 million deal, but that doesn't mean the defending World Series champions are done adding to their bullpen. According to a report from The Athletic (subscription required), the club is "looking at the top of [the reliever] market," including free-agent left-hander Tanner Scott and Brewers right-hander Devin Williams, who has been rumored to be on the trade block.

Scott, 30, has been one of the best relievers in the game the past two seasons, posting a 2.04 ERA with a 31.3% strikeout rate between the Marlins and Padres, earning his first All-Star selection in 2024. Williams, meanwhile, has been considered one of the best closers in MLB since he replaced Josh Hader, whom Milwaukee dealt to San Diego during the 2022 season. The right-hander has a devastating changeup and pitched to a 1.66 ERA with an incredible 39.5% strikeout rate over the past three seasons.

Dec. 8: Dodgers facing gap in negotiations with Teoscar (report)
The Dodgers reached a one-year, $17 million deal with veteran outfielder Michael Conforto on Sunday. That doesn't necessarily preclude the club from also bringing back Teoscar Hernández, whose market could heat up after fellow outfielder Juan Soto reached a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets (per sources) on Sunday night.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports that the Dodgers are still in on Hernández even after landing Conforto. With Tommy Edman likely slated for center-field duties, Conforto will handle one of the corner-outfield positions, leaving an available spot for Hernández or in-house options like Andy Pages and James Outman.

Hernández said last month that he would "do everything in my power" to come back to the defending World Series champions. However, his return is not a foregone conclusion.

While Dodgers reporter David Vassegh said Wednesday that the team and the slugging outfielder were "trying to nail the final details of a contract," ESPN's Alden Gonzalez hears that the two sides "have been unable to bridge the gap" in their negotiations over the past several weeks.

Meanwhile, there are at least three other teams interested in Hernández. One of them is the Red Sox, who intend to go after Hernández after coming up short in the Soto sweepstakes, a source told Feinsand. The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham adds that while the slugger has told people he would prefer to return to Los Angeles, he "has long been intrigued by the idea of playing at Fenway Park and he's a fan of [manager] Alex Cora."

The Yankees have "expressed serious interest," in Hernández, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The Blue Jays are also in on Hernández, per Feinsand. However, they appear to favor switch-hitter Anthony Santander more among the non-Soto crop of power-hitting outfielders.

After signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers last offseason, Hernández had a banner year with Los Angeles, posting an .840 OPS and a career-high 33 home runs. He earned his second All-Star selection and won his third Silver Slugger Award.