There isn’t much more Teoscar Hernández can do or say to make it more clear that he should be a Dodger for the foreseeable future. He has said he wants to stay several times, even on national television during primetime, and he made it even clearer that he should remained during Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres, when he hit a grand slam to cut the Dodgers’ deficit from five to one and save the team from complete humiliation after the loss.

When we forecast a new contract for Hernández, we assumed four years and $100 million, with a potential $25 million option for a fifth year. If the Dodgers get past the DS and he continues to hit like this for the rest of the postseason, he might be able to squeeze out even more.

However, Hernández told reporters ahead of Friday night’s elimination game that he and the Dodgers have not had formal discussions about an extension or a new contract.

That’s not entirely surprising; While Hernández has been excellent all year, the Dodgers now have bigger fish to fry before they can turn their attention to preparing for 2025. Better to stay in the here and now, but we can also practically sense that other interested teams start circling.

Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers have not yet entered into expansion talks

Not only do the Dodgers have a World Series to try to win this season, they also have the future of a top prospect to consider. Dalton Rushing, their Minor League Player of the Year, made a position switch from catcher/first base to left field prior to his promotion to Triple-A. This seemed like a move to get Rushing to make his MLB debut with the Dodgers instead of them having to trade him, but he would be blocked again if the Dodgers were to re-sign Hernández.

And maybe they will choose to go that route. Hernández has proven that he is a great addition to any lineup this year, and Rushing could be an incredibly powerful trade piece for LA. Still, their ambiguity should certainly look like a doorway for other interested teams.

The Red Sox could be a potential suitor; Hernández’s decision-making last year came down to Boston and LA, but he chose to go to LA because he wanted to go to a team that would win. The Red Sox finished with a flat .500 record this year, so we wouldn’t exactly call them out winnersbut if there’s no room in LA, he might as well go somewhere that’s already shown interest, and should certainly be willing to up their offer a second time. After all, Boston proved last summer that they are closer than most outsiders thought.

Win now and think about contracts later, yes, and it appears Hernández will wait as long as the Dodgers decide whether or not they want him back. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t listen to other tempting offers that could pull him away if LA waits too long.