LOS ANGELES -- When Teoscar Hernández first signed with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season, he took a one-year prove-it deal. Even then, he was hoping his time in Los Angeles wouldn't be temporary.
"He was like, 'Hey, this is a one-year deal, but in an ideal world, we win a World Series and this relationship gets to continue well beyond the one year,'" general manager Brandon Gomes said. "It doesn't always work out this way, but I would say that we're in an ideal world right now."
Flash forward to this offseason, and Hernández did indeed help the Dodgers win a World Series. He was embraced wholeheartedly by L.A. fans. The stage was set for a reunion, and on Friday, the Dodgers made it official that Hernández was back on a three-year, $66 million contract with a club option for '28.
"I think I made that clear before I went [into free agency], that the Dodgers were the priority, and I was going to do everything in my power to come back," Hernández told reporters at Dodger Stadium when he was re-introduced as a Dodger on Friday afternoon. "For me, money wasn't an issue."
Once the Juan Soto sweepstakes came to a close on the eve of the Winter Meetings, the belief was that demand for Hernández would increase, with several teams originally interested in Soto viewing him as an alternative. Hernández said he believed he could have gotten more money from other teams had he waited longer to sign -- but he felt at home with the Dodgers.
It's one thing to be a great player for a team, and Hernández did just that, hitting a career-high 33 homers with 99 RBIs in 154 games. It's another to establish a strong connection with the city and become an invaluable member of the clubhouse in just one year.
"Teo checked every single box," manager Dave Roberts said. "Shooting a one-year flyer on a player doesn't always go out into an extension or a multiyear deal, but just what he did for us and how he made everyone better, it was a no-brainer."
For the Dodgers, there's an element of getting the band back together heading into 2025, now that both Hernández and Blake Treinen have re-signed. But there are new faces in the mix, as well, including Blake Snell, Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim.
While the Dodgers are not afraid to be aggressive when it comes to improving their team, the name of the game is not solely bringing in the top talent available. They also have an eye for team culture, with the hope that every addition can help elevate the group as a whole.
Team chemistry played no small role in the Dodgers' championship run last season, a year when they were often not at full strength. The three MVPs atop the L.A. lineup certainly came up big time and again, but it takes a whole-team effort to go all the way.
By all accounts, Hernández was valuable in that regard, a mentor to his younger teammates and a steady presence in the clubhouse.
"You've got to be good on the field, and you've got to play the game a certain way," Roberts said. "Because what that does is it makes people around you better. It holds the teammates accountable. And when you're looking at young players throughout a system, they have something to aspire toward."
Now that Hernández and the Dodgers are reunited, they have their sights set on repeating as champions, something no team has accomplished since the Yankees won three World Series in a row from 1998-2000.
This edition of the Dodgers knows what it takes to go all the way, not that it makes going back to back any easier. Last season's accomplishment notwithstanding, 2025 is a new year, with new challenges ahead.
Hernández and the Dodgers plan to build on 2024 without letting it loom too large over their title defense.
"I'm going to speak about myself, but I'm sure that the other guys, if you ask them, they're going to say the same thing," Hernández said. "What is in the past is in the past. We're not going to think about what we did in 2024. We've got our minds clear. We know what we can do. Our team is better this year. And like I always said, if we stay healthy, we can do special things."