Enrique Hernandez makes a surprising signing decision

Enrique Hernandez is not leaving Los Angeles.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Monday that the veteran utlityman has decided to return to the Dodgers. Hernandez, 32, will be getting a new one-year contract from the team in free agency.

A beloved Dodgers fan favorite, Hernandez played for the Dodgers from 2015-20 and won the 2020 World Series with them. After leaving in 2021 to sign with the Boston Red Sox, Hernandez returned for a second stint with the Dodgers at last year’s trade deadline.

Regardless of the history, Hernandez coming back for a new contract with the Dodgers is a surprise since there were four finalists recently named for his services (of which the Dodgers were not one). But there had been a material change since then as the Dodgers just opened up a spot in the outfield by making a trade earlier in the day on Monday.

The versatile righty-hitting Hernandez should now have plenty of opportunity to contribute to the Dodgers in 2024 (and also offer more memorable moments to the fans).