“This team is extremely stacked but still found a way to bring back Kiké Hernández” – Ex-MLB slugger drops bold take on Dodgers’ roster depth

The Los Angeles Dodgers were hyper-aggressive this offseason after winning the World Series, and they put together a roster full of stars at the top. Even in a sport without a true salary cap, signing so many superstars leaves a team without much depth behind them.

However, according to former slugger Xavier Scruggs, that is not the case with the Dodgers. He said that they'd got the most stars, but they've also done a good job in bringing in-depth, citing the return of Kike Hernandez as a big reason why.

On Monday's edition of MLB Network Radio, Scruggs said:

"Whenever we get an opportunity to bring somebody on a roster who can play a lot of different spots... that combination of the versatility and obviously what he's done in the postseason has been nothing short of great."

Scruggs also said Hernandez said he's a great veteran presence and a fan favorite, someone all championship teams love having around. He added that the Dodgers getting him signals a huge win for their offseason:

"This team is extremely stacked but still found a way to bring back Kike Hernandez."

Hernandez signed a one-year deal to return for the 2025 season after playing a big role in the 2024 run to the World Series.

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Several Dodgers wanted Kike Hernandez back

Manager Dave Roberts gave Kike Hernandez a major shoutout after winning the World Series, saying that they specifically brought him in to win 11 games in October. Hernandez has a career .278 batting average in the postseason.

Kike Hernandez is back with the Dodgers (Imagn)

After that, Hernandez wanted to come back.

“I really, really hope I’m back next year so we can run it back," he said in November (via the Los Angeles Times). "So make sure you guys talk to Friedman and those guys, and let them know.”

His teammate Teoscar Hernandez, who also entered free agency only to return to the Dodgers on a new contract, said:

“Everybody’s waiting for that news to pop up. I want Kiké to be back.”

Now, they've all got their wishes, as the postseason superstar returns to the Dodgers as they attempt to be the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the New York Yankees at the turn of the century.