The Los Angeles Dodgers looked to get ahead of the trade deadline with multiple moves, with one of them being to acquire Kiké Hernández from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman.
Hernández spent the past few seasons with the Red Sox after signing with them prior to 2021. The reunion came in the middle of a career-worst year for Hernández in which he posted a .599 on-base plus slugging percentage through 297 at-bats with the Red Sox this season.
In trying to make the trade more enticing on their end, the Red Sox provided the Dodgers with the salary relief, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
In making the deal, the Red Sox sent $2.5 million of Hernández’s remaining $3.6 million salary to help secure a better return package, sources told The Athletic.
In receiving cash considerations along with Hernández, the Dodgers provided the Red Sox with two pitchers who have a number of team-controlled years left. Robertson appeared in nine games in the Majors this year, posting a 6.10 ERA and 2.03 WHIP.
Hagenman logged a 2.54 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 28.1 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The former 23rd-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft had spent five seasons in the farm system, carrying a 3.61 ERA in 156 games (10 starts).
Hagenman and Robertson fill a need for the Red Sox in both potential, and bullpen depth at Triple-A and potentially Major League level.
Additional Dodgers trades that wound up netting the team cash considerations were with the Colorado Rockies (Justin Bruihl), Detroit Tigers (Eddys Leonard), New York Mets (Phil Bickford and Adam Kolarek).
More recently, Dodgers prospects Aldrín Batista and Máximo Martínez to the Chicago White Sox for international bonus pool money.
Kiké Hernández new number with Dodgers
Although Hernández has returned to the Dodgers, he’s now wearing a new number. That was required due to the Dodgers retiring No. 14 in honor of Gil Hodges during the 2022 season.
Hernández decided to wear No. 8 with the Dodgers as a tribute to Kobe Bryant and Major League field coordinator Bob Geren.
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