Most agents who represent MLB players don't brag publicly. But most agents don't care about that from their peers Rafa Nieves apparently did when he negotiated Teoscar Hernandez's one-year, $23.5 million deal with the Dodgers last offseason.
Nieves, who has amassed an all-star clientele of mostly Latino players, responded to his critics with a fact-filled X-shaped post that he believes exonerates his representation of the Dodgers left fielder: “9 months ago, every agent was criticizing me and Teo for taking participation in a one-year contract. The truth is that the market was soft on everyone and he was having a down year while playing in a very friendly environment for pitchers.
“We were looking for a three-year contract, reading the market and realizing that such a deal might not exist, I asked him what his priority was and he replied he wanted to win and play until October so we changed our mind and focused on getting the best short-term deal for the best interested team.
Here we are, deep into October, and Hernandez and the Dodgers are still playing after setting career highs in home runs (33), total bases (295) and wins above replacement (4.3). He was an All-Star and Home Run Derby Champion. And he probably set the record for most sunflower seeds thrown to teammates after home runs.
“Everyone said it was a bad deal because it was a one-year deal, but for me it's important to improve and win. I'm happy to be here,” said Hernández, an athlete.
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His .272/.339/.501 slash line is a significant improvement over the dull .258/.305/.435 line he posted for the Mariners last season. Hernández provided the Dodgers with a strong bat behind the big three of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Bets and Freddie Freeman all season long, driving in 99 runs.
His effectiveness did not drop in the play-off phase – he added two goals and seven hits. Hernández was already thinking about the postseason when he was asked in June if he could handle the pressure.
“You feel the adrenaline and of course you get pumped up for these kinds of matches when you play in important moments and important situations,” Hernández told The Times. “But I try to be the same guy, be myself and not put pressure on myself. I don't try to do too much, because then everything ends up going the opposite way than you want.
Entering free agency for the first time last offseason, HernaNAndez was tipped by MLB Trade Rumors to receive a four-year, $80 million deal. Outfielders with similar resumes, such as Marcell Ozuna, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, signed four- to five-year contracts worth $64 million, $79 million and $100 million, respectively.
Read more: Teoscar Hernández could sign with the Red Sox. Here's why he chose the Dodgers
But the market stalled — see Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery — and Hernández was forced to choose between a two-year, $28 million offer from the Boston Red Sox and the Dodgers' one-year pact that only paid in 2024 USD 15 million, and the remaining USD 8.5 million was spent in 10 installments in the years 2030–2039.
Hernández will likely be in a stronger position when he re-enters the free agent market in November. He told reporters that he didn't have talks with the Dodgers during the season about an extension, but he's not concerned about it.
Neither does Nieves, if the tone of his social media post is any indication. After checking the boxes next to his client's statistical achievements, Nieves wrote: “He will win his third Silver Slugger and will likely get some MVP votes. What's more, he earned more money this year than he would have earned on a 3-year contract, and now he will be back on the market after a year of his career.
“Who's laughing now?”
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Hernandez!
“I'm always laughing. I rarely get angry,” he told The Times. “You can go around and ask people, 'Have you ever seen Teo angry?' I don't think they'll say yes. Everyone knows how I play on the pitch and how I behave off it. I'm the same person. I just like to give everyone joy and happiness so that they can feel good and rest.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
