The post Dodgers handyman reveals career-changing decision made more than a decade ago originally appeared on The Sporting News
Keke Hernandez found himself a fan favorite and a postseason legend with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now in his second tenure with the team, Hernandez recently revealed that his legacy with the Dodgers almost never came to fruition.
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Hernandez first broke into the MLB in 2014, eventually arriving in Los Angeles after being traded from the Miami Marlins. Recently, Hernandez told Dodgers insider Mark Langillet that he actually hoped he would be traded again before being convinced.
“I wish I could have been traded again because looking at the Dodgers roster at the time, I thought I was going to make a career out of Triple-A baseball,” Hernandez said. “Andrew Friedman got on the phone with me and said their program sounded real to me. They were looking for players like me who could play different positions. I said to myself, 'Okay, sure. I'm going to believe it when I see it.' Ten years later, here we are.”
Hernandez has become a key figure in the Dodgers' success over the past decade. In his two career stints, he slashed .236/.305/.403 with 95 homers and 320 RBIs in nine seasons. In the postseason, he was a member of the Dodgers' 2020 and 2024 World Series championship teams. Hernandez's career OPS in the playoffs is .882.
After defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, the Dodgers will face the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League. Hernandez has postseason talent and will look to create more memorable moments in what the Dodgers hope will be another run to the World Series.