Dave Roberts Explains Dodgers’ ‘Bet’ In Trading For Kiké Hernández

Dave Roberts admitted the Dodgers rolled the dice Tuesday.

Los Angeles was responsible for the first noteworthy trade of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, acquiring Kiké Hernández from Boston in exchange for two pitching prospects. The National League West leaders aren’t bringing in a player who’s lit the world on fire this season — far from it. Defensive issues at shortstop and inconsistency at the plate seemingly made Hernández more expendable for the Red Sox.

Perhaps a change of scenery will serve Hernández well as he rounds out a contract year. That’s the hope Roberts and the Dodgers leaned on when they made the decision to bring the 10th-year pro back to LA.

“He hasn’t had the best of seasons. The bet is being back home, familiarity — can kind of tap back into the player we know he can be, we’ve seen,” Roberts told reporters, per a video shared by Claudia Gestro. “So I think, for me, it’s to see him against left-handed pitching. He’s a Swiss Army knife. I still stand by he’s one of the most talented baseball players I’ve been around. I’m excited to see him blend in with this ball club.”

Even though Hernández largely struggled in what proved to be his final go-around with the Red Sox, he clearly will be missed in Boston. This was made clear through remarks from Boston brass, the club’s manager and Hernández’s now-former teammates.

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