The New York Yankees are still attempting to remedy their infield depth problem as the 2024-2025 Major League Baseball winter draws to a close. They made no attempt to keep second baseman Gleyber Torres, not even offering the seven-year veteran a qualifying offer. Despite this, they appear to have no plans to replace Torres and are now in desperate need of an infielder before the season starts.
Prior to last season, the Yankees attempted to sign a seasoned infield utility player with a World Series title on his mantelpiece. At the time, Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Enrique “Kiké” Hernandez elected to return to the warmer environment of Los Angeles, where he was in his second season with the team.
The Houston Astros selected Hernandez in the sixth round of the 2009 MLB amateur draft from the American Military Academy in Puerto Rico. But almost as soon as Hernandez reached the majors in 2014, Houston dealt him to the Miami Marlins. Following that season, the Marlins traded Hernandez to the Dodgers, where he spent the following six seasons, ending in a World Series ring to crown off the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
He then signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox, who eventually traded him back to the Dodgers in 2023. Despite the Yankees’ offers, he re-signed with Los Angeles for the 2024 season and went on to win his second World Series title.
Yankees pursued Hernandez in 2023 but were rejected.
As the 2025 season approaches, Empire Sports Media founder Alexander Wilson indicated Saturday that the Yankees could make another effort at Hernandez, who is now a free agent for the third time at age 33 and has yet to find a new home.
“Hernández’s 2024 season was not particularly inspiring offensively, but his defensive versatility makes him an intriguing option,” says Wilson. “In 126 games, he hit.229/.281/.373, with 12 home runs, 42 RBIs, a 19.6 percent strikeout rate, and a 6.9 percent walk rate, for an 83 wRC+. These statistics put him 17 percent below average at the plate, but his versatility to play almost every defensive position adds value.”
Another baseball analyst, John Sparaco of SI.com, cited Hernandez’s defensive versatility as a strength that could benefit the Yankees.
“In his 11-year big-league career, Hernández has played every position except catcher. While his versatility is beneficial to any club, Sparaco notes that his 304 games of expertise at second base (17 DRS) and 116 games at third base (2 DRS) are especially significant. “These positions could both be viewed as areas of need for the Yankees.”
DRS stands for “Defensive Runs Saved,” and it measures a fielder’s contribution to his club.
Would signing Hernandez be worthwhile for the Yankees?
With Torres’ position still unfilled and the Yankees reportedly unwilling to make a large free agent acquisition or make a trade to fill it, Hernandez might fill in until a more permanent replacement for Torres is found.
But would signing Hernandez, who is coming off a one-year, $4 million contract with the Dodgers, be worthwhile? Wilson concludes with skepticism.
“New York could easily wait until the summer trade deadline to bolster their depth, leaving more flexibility to address immediate concerns and secure higher-impact players when needed,” according to him. “Hernández’s defensive versatility is undeniable, but for a team like the Yankees, the timing and fit might not align with their greater ambitions this offseason.”
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