LOS ANGELES -- After another splash made during the winter in acquiring the most coveted bat on the market in All-Star Kyle Tucker, the looming question that the Los Angeles Dodgers were immediately facing was the role that Teoscar Hernandez would play for 2026.
LOS ANGELES -- After another splash made during the winter in acquiring the most coveted bat on the market in All-Star Kyle Tucker, the looming question that the Los Angeles Dodgers were immediately facing was the role that Teoscar Hernandez would play for 2026. According to reports from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, he believes the Dodgers will keep Hernandez and position him to play left field, with Andy Pages manning center field and Tucker in right field.
Even with the big splash they've made this winter, Los Angeles is still up and at it behind the scenes as they are potentially exploring trades for right-hander Bobby Miller and top prospect Ryan Ward to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Tucker, Rosenthal reports.
ICYMI: Dodgers are expected to keep Teoscar Hernandez and position him in left field.
— Adrian Medina (@AdrianMedina_16) January 17, 2026
Los Angeles is also exploring trades of Bobby Miller and Ryan Ward to open up a 40-man spot for newly acquired Kyle Tucker, per @Ken_Rosenthal
The landscape of Miller and Ward's usage for 2026 is bleak, with both players hardly used throughout the 2025 season to begin with. Ward's main position is in the corner outfield spots, where he is now at a roadblock due to Tucker and Hernandez. Ward should still be considered a bat that any team should take a chance on, despite his inexperience playing at the major league level.
Ward had a stellar 2025 season for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Comets, earning himself Pacific Coast League MVP honors by slashing .290/.380/.557 in 143 games. Ward led all of MiLB with 36 home runs, 122 RBI, 73 extra-base hits, and 315 total bases.
In terms of Miller's status, there is still a lot of room to grow for the 26-year-old right-hander. From being struck in the head by a comebacker during last Spring Training, the trajectory of Miller's journey to regain his old self has been one of trial and error.
Miller failed to make the Dodgers' opening day roster for the Tokyo Series and landed in OKC's starting rotation, where he managed to produce a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings. He found himself back in Dodger blue by April, but a rough outing against the Colorado Rockies magnified the disturbed nooks and crannies in Miller's pitching trajectory for 2025.
When the calendar turned to July, the Dodgers decided to move Miller's talents to the bullpen in attempts to salvage any positives he could offer. That did not come to be as his numbers were particularly the same, and once again, his road stayed in OKC. Miller still has one option left on his contract, but with how rapidly the Dodgers are crunching up numbers and projections, Los Angeles might move Miller for a low price.
Category: General Sports
