Many Dodger fans, myself included, were a bit concerned when rumors started to swirl that Dee Gordon was on the trading block. The concerns were that Dee had just had a career year leading the majors in stolen bases and triples and playing way above anyone’s expectations for him heading into the 2014 season. He was a home grown player, adjusted well to a position change from shortstop to second base, and was simply downright exciting to watch playing the game we all love. At age 26 and late to the game of baseball he would only improve with the Dodgers over the next few years. There could be no rationale good enough to trade him.

Our minds were put at ease when Dodgers GM Farhan Zaida came out strongly in support of Gordon. On Tuesday, December 9th Zaidi made it clear that Gordon was not on the market, not bring dangled, despite a published report that he was, and that Gordon will be the teams’s 2014 second baseman. Zaidi went on: “He’s a cost-controlled, All-Star second baseman that teams would have four more years of control, a tremendous player, and anybody like that, teams ask for.” Now we have had others speak in that manner in the past and the “…not being traded…” mantra seemed to signal a trade was imminent – but not this time… or so we thought. A collective sigh of relief went up among the Dodger faithful.

To say that Dee Gordon had a great year in 2014 would be a serious understatement.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

My mother often said, “Hold your horses!” as things were unfolding and seemed to have been played out. She was correct yet again as two days later the news broke that Dee Gordon had indeed been traded. He, along with pitcher Dan Haren and infielder Miguel Rojas, were traded to the Miami Marlins for 2012 ninth overall draft pick Andrew Heaney (23), reliever Chris Hatcher (29), catcher Austin Barnes (25) and outfielder Enrique Hernandez (23). The scope of the trade was a bit difficult to comprehend. I was not happy to see Dee Gordon jettisoned but I was pleased that four young players were acquired by the Dodgers and the Andrew Friedman trademark of collecting first round draft selections from other teams was at play. I surmised that talented left-hander Andrew Heany was the prize Friedman was after and succeeded in capturing.

My mother also reminded me frequently what happens when we make assumptions. Again she was right as before Andrew Heaney could be added to the Dodgers 40-man roster he was parlayed into a trade with the Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick. I had to rethink the nature of the Gordon trade. In the bigger picture the Dodgers now had received Howie Kendrick along with Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes and Enrique Hernández in the Dee Gordon trade. Kendrick and Hatcher are both good additions to the Dodgers active roster. The unknowns are Austin Barnes and Enrique Hernandez.

It seemed unlikely that Andrew Friedman would accept throw-ins to complete a trade. Catcher Austin Barnes began to show up on Miami Marlin prospect lists after a successful 2014 season so his acquisition was relatively easy to understand considering the need for catching prospects in the Dodgers farm system. Enrique Hernández was definitely the puzzler in the group.

Hernández, who prefers to go by “Kike” (Key-kay), was selected in the sixth round of the 2009 First Year Player Draft by the Houston Astros out of the American Military Academy in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Already in his fifth season of professional baseball in 2014, Hernández played most of the season as a 22-year-old with an August 24th birth date.

When he was drafted as a 17-year-old second baseman there was little to suggest Hernández might be a gem or gold nugget. Scouting reports pegged him as being only a second baseman because of his lack of arm strength. Offensively, lack of plate discipline was cited as a possible impediment to his progress. His swing was described as “choppy” and it was expected his strike out rate would be too high as he made his way through the farm system. Hernández himself was surprised to be drafted in the sixth round and described himself as “… not one of the top prospects on the island.”

Youth, expectations or scouting reports did not deter Kike Hernández. He had a dream to play major league baseball and after being drafted by the Astros he immediately set out to begin work on that goal. His progress no doubt was surprising to his detractors and most likely even his drafting team. He continued to move through the farm system almost unnoticed while being about three years younger than the average age in each league.

As a 17-year-old in the Gulf Coast League Hernández hit .295 with an OBP of .336 and had 16 extra base hits among his 61 hits. Five years later as a 22-year-old playing at both the the AA and AAA levels in 2014 he hit .319 with an OBP of .372. At 5’11” and 170 lb, Hernández also displayed some unexpected power with 11 home runs and 25 doubles in 98 games.

This is where the Kike Hernández story really unfolds. He made his major league debut with the Astros as a 22-year old on July 1st in 2014. In his first game as a major leaguer he went 2-for-2 with a RBI double. The following day he hit a home run off Chris Young of the Seattle Mariners with two out. Hernández played in 24 games with the Astros compiling a .284 batting average and .348 OBP. He played most of his games in the outfield, both center field and left field as well as three at shortstop.

Could Kike Hernandez be the next Justin Turner? Consider this: Turner hit seven home runs in 288 at-bats with the Dodgers in 2014 while Hernandez hit three home runs in 121 combined at-bats with the Astros and Marlins in 2014. (Photo credit – Troy Taormina)

Houston manager Bo Porter was both pleased and pleasantly surprised by Hernández’s play and kept him in the starting lineup by utilizing him in multiple positions. “He’s definitely brought a spark to the team,” Porter said. “Again, it’s refreshing to see a guy rewarded for just performing at each and every level. He wasn’t in big league camp, so it’s not like the Major League staff had an opportunity to work with him or know him. He basically knocked the door down and played his way here and is continuing to knock down the door and play his way into the lineup. I like to see stories like that.”

Then just before the July 31st MLB trade deadline the Miami Marlins announced a multi-player trade with the Houston Astros that brought starter Jarred Cosart, shortstop Enrique Hernández, and outfielder Austin Wates to Miami in exchange for third baseman Colin Moran, outfielder Jake Marisnick, pitcher Francis Martes, and the Marlins’ 2015 compensation pick. Hernández was not nearly as successful with the Marlins in limited at bats but rumors circulated that he would be given a shot at the Miami second base position in 2015.

On December 11th Kike Hernández was traded yet again and was added to the Dodgers 40-man roster after being acquired from the Marlins in the Dee Gordon trade.

As Houston manager Bo Porter pointed out, Kike Hernández has simply forced himself upon major league baseball. During his progress he has pretty much assured himself of a major league career simply by re-creating himself as a jack of all trades and master of all. Along the way he has played every position except pitching and catching. When asked by Jimmy Price of Astros Future which position he prefers, Hernández responded: “The answer to this question would’ve been a lot different last year. I would’ve said 2B since it had been my main position throughout my career. But I can honestly say I’m equally comfortable everywhere. This year has definitely taught me how to have a better work ethic since I’ve been moving around so much. I get a little bit of work everywhere during BP regardless of the position I’m playing that day. I play a different position almost everyday so I gotta do what I gotta do to stay sharp everywhere.”

Hernández hit a bump in the road in 2013 while playing Class-AA ball with the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League as both his batting Average and OBP fell well below his minor league average. However, he followed up that season with his best minor league season in 2014 mostly, with the AAA Oklahoma RedHawks.

When asked how he would explain his major leap offensively from 2013 to 2014 Hernández explained he went to winter ball with the sole purpose of figuring out what was wrong with his swing and he did just that. In that interview with Jimmy Price he explained: “ I tweaked a little something in my batting stance and it clicked. All of the sudden I was seeing the ball better, recognizing pitches a lot earlier and I started driving the ball again.”

In an article by Landan Kuhlmann of the Texas Sports Review on July 26, 2014, Kuhlmann goes even further in describing Hernández’s improved batting stroke. He writes: “Hernández has refined his stroke into a thing of beauty, consistently driving pitches the other way and back up the middle with authority. His first MLB at-bat is a perfect example of his progress. In a blowout loss against Seattle, pinch-hitting for Altuve, he drove the first pitch he saw into right-center field for an RBI double.”

Even though he plays multiple positions, Hernández’s defensive skills are no longer called into question, nor is his arm strength. Kuhlmann also comments on his defensive play at the major league level of play; “Hernández had played every position except pitcher and catcher at Oklahoma City prior to his call-up, and has already played four different positions (SS, 2B, LF, CF) during his brief stint with the Astros, showing surprising arm strength in the process with two outfield assists and numerous highlight-reel plays at shortstop.”

Kike Hernández has his own take on his defense: “Defensively, I never quit on a ball,” he said. “I’m just going to go until someone calls me off, I catch the ball or the ball drops.”

Now I understand why Andrew Friedman included Kike Hernández in his Dee Gordon trade. He is a Friedman type of player who most certainly was not a throw-in in the trade – he was a target for the Dodgers. The Gordon trade, trading Dee when his value is perhaps as high as it will get, now looks like a Friedman coup.

I expect Hernández will begin the year with a return to AAA Oklahoma City, this time as a member of the OKC Dodgers. With his versatility he has the potential to be a major league second baseman, outfielder or become a super sub utility type player perhaps joining the likes of super subs Ben Zobrist of the Tampa Bay Rays and Justin Turner of the Dodgers. Look for him to make an appearance with the parent Dodgers in 2015.

This guy comes to play.

(Author’s Note: Kike Hernández suffered an abdominal strain in November winter ball which most likely has him sidelined for the balance of the winter league play. Hopefully he will be completely healed for the beginning of Spring Training at Camelback Ranch).