LOS ANGELES — Long-time Los Angeles Dodgers crowd favorite Kiké Hernandez has revealed a shocking piece of his history: when he first came to Los Angeles in late 2014, after a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins, he actually wanted to be traded again before the 2015 MLB season even started. Yes, the utility man who would go on to win two World Series titles said he was ready to walk away — because he feared he’d never play a major-league inning with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I was hoping I’d be traded again,” Hernández revealed recently. “Looking at the Dodgers’ roster at the time, I thought I was going to make a career out of Triple-A baseball.”
Hernández arrived in L.A. as part of a major four-player swap — a blockbuster deal that sent Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, and Miguel Rojas to the Marlins in exchange for Hernández, Andrew Heaney, Chris Hatcher, and Austin Barnes. The Dodgers’ roster that offseason was stacked with stars like Clayton Kershaw, Yasiel Puig, and Justin Turner — and Hernández feared there’d be no room for him.
“Then Andrew Friedman called me,” he continued. “He told me their plans were real. They were building versatility into the roster, looking for players like me who could play multiple positions.”
Hernández would later joke: “I told myself, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ A decade later, here we are.”
What followed was a blossoming career that cemented him as one of the most beloved figures in Los Angeles. Despite his initial skepticism, he made the major-league roster, appearing in 76 games and posting an encouraging .836 OPS in 2015. He quickly established himself as a defensive gem, earning playing time across the diamond — infield, outfield, center-field, left, and even shortstop.
“They looked at me, a 16-year-old kid, and put their faith in who they thought I could be,” Hernandez reflected.
Even after leaving the Dodgers after the 2020 season to join the Boston Red Sox, Hernandez couldn’t stay away. L.A. reacquired him in 2023, where he went on to flourish in the postseason.
“That isn’t just a chance anymore — it’s a dream, one that came true by sticking around,” he said of his focus on the postseason.
Despite a modest .654 OPS during the 2024 regular season, his October performances remained clutch — a .808 postseason OPS with two home runs and six RBIs helped power L.A. to another World Series title that year. Hernandez’s postseason consistency has become part of his legacy, as he helped the team secure their second championship in five seasons.
At 34, Hernandez continues to be more than a utility man — he’s a veteran leader and clubhouse cornerstone. In 2025, he’s again producing key postseason contributions, hitting .313 with multiple RBIs through the Wild Card series.
From nearly asking for a trade to becoming a two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers, Kiké Hernandez’s journey is a lesson in perseverance, transformation, and faith in one franchise.
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