Dodgers Notes: Unfortunate Juan Soto Update, LA Loses Free Agent, Teoscar Hernandez to Return?

The Juan Soto saga got another update on Wednesday, and it wasn’t exactly good news for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ chances. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the Dodgers are “unlikely” to sign Soto this offseason, and the other four major market teams have established themselves as the favorites for the 26-year-old superstar outfielder.

In more concrete news, the Dodgers lost a free agent to the Athletics, who will be playing in a minor league ballpark for the next few seasons.

Also, there are more updates on Teoscar Hernández’s free agency as the Dodgers aim to potentially bring him back on a multiyear deal.

Here’s all the latest Dodgers news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Dodgers ‘Unlikely’ to Sign Juan Soto as 4 Teams Emerge as Favorites in Race

Dodgers Free Agent Signs With Athletics for 2025 Season

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Re-Sign With Dodgers in Free Agency

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Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani drops 8-word claim on pitching in 2025

It looks like a return to the mound is a go for Shohei Ohtani in 2025.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting 10-year, $700 million deal while knowing full well that the superstar two-way player won’t be pitching at all in 2024. Even then, the signing of Ohtani was as successful as it can be. The 30-year-old Japanese international played as LA’s full-time designated hitter and he went on to put up a historic season en route to winning the MVP and a World Series trophy.

Ohtani, however, could somehow end up being a more valuable player for the Dodgers in 2025 now that he’s a full year removed from the elbow surgery that has kept him out of the mound since September 2023. And it doesn’t look like anything will be stopping Ohtani from becoming a superstar both on the mound and on the plate in 2025 if his words are any indication.

“So far, so good. Everything is going well,” Ohtani said in English in an interview with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

It’s not quite clear if Ohtani will be starting the season in the Dodgers rotation, especially after proving his worth as a full-time hitter. But he is making a historic amount of money for both his pitching and hitting proficiency. There is an expectation that Ohtani will be ready to pitch around April.

Ohtani, of course, is expected to return to being his best self on the mound for the Dodgers after spending a lot of time rehabbing his injuries. He was electric on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels across 74 starts from 2021 to 2023, recording an ERA of 2.84 while striking out 542 in 428.1 innings pitched.