The Los Angeles Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, ending their three-peat dreams, and now they must make moves in the offseason to get back to the Fall Classic.
The Dodgers' core of veteran stars did enough to win back-to-back World Series, but it may be time to start making room for some young stars in the organization. One of those young players is Josue De Paula, who was called up directly from Double-A this year. De Paula looked great in his short stint, but the Dodgers need to create a spot for him to play more.
De Paula cannot serve as a designated hitter since that's where Shohei Ohtani plays. He is an outfielder, and the clear choice to move on from to make room for De Paula is Teoscar Hernández.
Hernández, 34, is due $17 million next season and has a $15 million club option for 2028. He has declined from his 2024 All-Star season, but still has trade value. He is not a great defender, but he had a .759 OPS this season.
De Paula's defense in the outfield is a real concern, but the team is working hard to get him up to par. They have Jason Heyward working with him to help his defense, but the Dodgers need his bat in the lineup. He posted a 1.081 OPS in 11 games this year and has great plate discipline.
He does not strike out a ton, hit 27 home runs in Triple-A this year, and has the ability to impact the game on the basepaths. The team is not going to move on from Andy Pages or Kyle Tucker, so Hernández needs to go if the Dodgers want De Paula on the field regularly.