Red Sox Rumors: Why Dodgers Wanted To Make Kiké Hernández Trade

The Red Sox for some time knew a tough roster decision was coming, and they finally made it Tuesday.

With a logjam at the position, Boston needed to bump a middle infielder from its active roster. The odd man out was Kiké Hernández, who was traded to Los Angeles in exchange for a pair of pitching prospects. It marked a homecoming for the versatile veteran, who previously played six seasons with the Dodgers and won a World Series with the storied organization in 2020.

Not long after the deal was announced, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya outlined why LA wanted to reunite with Hernández.

“The Dodgers have been monitoring Boston’s roster crunch closely in recent days, expressing an interest in a reunion with Hernández specifically to hit left-handed pitching and fill into their outfield and middle infield mix in those spots,” Ardaya wrote. “It’s essentially the role that Hernández filled with aplomb for the Dodgers from 2015-20, when he produced a combined .829 OPS against left-handed pitching and saw time at every position on the field besides catcher.”

Hernández joins a Dodgers team that entered Wednesday with a four-game lead atop the National League West. The 31-year-old is in line to play playoff baseball this October, and if he shines under the bright lights as he did in 2021, he will enter MLB free agency in a great spot this winter.