The Los Angeles Dodgers have experienced the magic of a Kiké Hernández postseason 10 times since 2015, but the 2026 campaign may have been his last October in Dodger blue.

Hernandez, a longtime fan favorite of the Dodgers, has a career OPS of .706. In his aforementioned decade of Dodgers postseason experience, his OPS is .806. He has played a pivotal role in the last three Dodgers championships and six total appearances since 2017.

The 35-year-old Hernandez is also an anomaly on defense. Over the course of his career, he has at least 71 appearances in every infield position that isn't catcher or pitcher — though he does have an ERA of 11.45 in 11 career outings as a relief pitcher — as well as a wealth of experience in the outfield.

As the Dodgers continue to retool their roster this offseason, though, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller sees LA taking a different direction with their utility player role. He predicted that the Dodgers will sign two-time Gold Glove award winner Mauricio Dubon from the Atlanta Braves, essentially replacing Hernandez.

Dubon's flexibility on defense would be similar to what Hernandez brought in his bench role (when healthy) last season, but specifically addresses the gap at second base that became apparent at many points this season.

Financially, Hernandez played out the 2026 season on a one-year, $4.5 million deal compared to the $6.1 million Dubon played on to avoid arbitration. According to Spotrac's market value projection, Dubon can be had at around $11.4 million per season, but former general manager and current MLB insider for The Athletic Jim Bowden sees him going for $8 million annually.

Dubon is coming off of arguably his best season, hitting .276 with a .719 OPS. This totaled a 2.7 bWAR (tied for his career-high) and he also missed just nine games, something that should be particularly enticing to a Dodgers team that was hampered at many points in 2026.

In Dubon's eight seasons in MLB, he has made at least 18 appearances at every position that isn't pitcher or catcher.

As for Hernandez, returning in 2027 on a team-friendly still could happen even if the Dodgers pursue Dubon. However, it appears more likely the Dodgers move on from Hernandez as they look to get younger this offseason — and could have a perfect replacement in Dubon.

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