When the Dodgers sent second baseman Dee Gordon, right-hander Dan Haren and infielder Miguel Rojas to the Miami Marlins in exchange for left-hander Andrew Heaney, right-hander Chris Hatcher, catcher Austin Barnes and utility infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernandez during the 2014-2015 off-season – a deal that ultimately landed second baseman Howie Kendrick from the Angels in exchange Heaney – it’s safe to say that (then) 23-year-old Kiké Hernandez was not the focal point of the deal. Yet when the 2015 season ended with the Dodgers winning their third consecutive National League West title, Hernandez was not only on the Dodgers’postseason roster, he was the team’s best hitter.

Granted, Hernandez appeared in only 76 of the Dodgers 162 games in 2015 and his team-high .307 batting average was based on only 218 plate appearances, but by August he was in former Dodgers manager Don Mattingly’s starting lineup almost every day. And while Hernandez was and still is what he refers to as a “super sub,” at one point he actually was an everyday player, having supplanted struggling rookie phenom Joc Pederson as the Dodgers everyday center fielder. And although a late season hamstring injury would land the extremely popular San Juan, Puerto Rico native on the disabled list for most of September, he still finished his first full year in a Dodgers uniform with seven home runs and 22 RBIs while maintaining a .346 on-base percentage and a .490 slugging percentage for a very impressive .836 OPS. Simple put, Hernandez needed to be in the Dodgers’ lineup every day.

Many forget that Kiké Hernandez hit six home runs last spring, tying him with Joc Pederson for the team lead. (Video Capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

But being a utility bench player carries with it an unusual enigma – it is a role that is generally not associated with everyday play; it’s name alone suggests where a utility bench player usually begins every game. That being said, it has become abundantly clear that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi are among few baseball executives who actually seek out utility bench players and, in fact, are even willing to draft players who can play multiple positions – something that was unheard of as recently as five years ago.

By all appearances it looked as though Hernandez was finally going to shake his utility bench player/super sub title after the 2015 season. In addition to filling in nicely for Pederson in center field, he filled in exceptionally well at second base when Kendrick himself went down with a hamstring injury. In fact, Kiké did so well at second base that when Kendrick decline the Dodgers $15.8 million qualifying offer at the conclusion of the season, many Dodger fans believed that Hernandez was the heir apparent to replace Kendrick as the Dodgers everyday second baseman in 2016.

But as ridiculous as it may sound, Hernandez was so valuable to the team in his utility role that Friedman and Zaidi did not want to forfeit that role. As such, they went out and acquired 25-year-old rookie second baseman Micah Johnson from the Chicago White Sox and eventually re-signed 37-year-old veteran second baseman Chase Utley to a questionable one-year / $7 million contract. They then waited out (now) free agent Howie Kendrick and eventually re-signed him to a two-year / $20 million deal which, for all intents and purposes, eliminates both Kiké Hernandez and Micah Johnson (and even Chase Utley) from becoming the Dodgers everyday second baseman in 2016 – at least to begin the season.

“I’m excited,” Hernandez said, upon learning that Kendrick would be back this season and in all probability take him out as the team’s everyday second baseman. “He helped the team, great ball player, he’s consistent, he puts numbers every single year. I mean, I’m not just a second baseman – I can play everywhere – so I’m not worried about Howie Kendrick. I can play six different positions. It is what it is, same as last year, and nothing changes.”

Although Hernandez may not be the defensive centerfielder that Pederson is, he played the position exceptionally well. (Photo credit – Bob Levey)

Just because Hernandez may begin the 2016 season without an everyday position doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll finished it that way. In fact, should he continue to put up the same kind of numbers he did in his limited play in 2015, and should Joc Pederson continue to struggle offensively at the big league level, Hernandez could once again find himself spending considerable time patrolling centerfield at Dodger Stadium – if he is 100 percent healthy, that is.

Unbeknownst to most, Hernandez experienced right shoulder issues late last season that required arthroscopic surgery only one week after the Dodgers were eliminated from postseason play. The 30-minute procedure was performed by team surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache to “clean up” Hernandez’s shoulder.

“No setbacks as of now, I should be ready for spring training,” Hernandez said. “I’ve been here for three weeks now [working out at Dodger Stadium] just finishing up the rehab and hopefully there’s no setbacks and I’ll be ready for spring.”

But Hernandez has another incentive to do well this season – one that every Dodger fan will love.

“It’s going to be a special year for Vin [Scully]. Hopefully we can give him a World Series title,” said Hernandez.

As for his earlier proclamation that he was going to do away with his signature ‘rally banana’ and keep all fruit out of the Dodgers dugout this season:

“I was kidding. I guess we’ll see if we need a special occasion,” Hernandez said, drawing laughs from the gathered media. “But I’m not thinking about that, I’m just focusing on my shoulder and focusing on next season.”

Whether its off the bench, at second base, at third base, at shortstop or in the outfield, there’s one thing that you can absolutely count on – Kiké Hernandez will be a huge part of the Dodgers’ success in 2016.