5 massive questions for the Dodgers: With eyes on a three-peat, will L.A. bolster its outfield? Add extra within the bullpen?

[ad_1] The Los Angeles Dodgers can do no matter they need.

MLB’s two-time defending champs, the game’s new evil empire, stay a juggernaut of horrifying proportions. Their dominance was laid naked on the diamond in October, and it'd take heart stage as soon as once more throughout sizzling range season. That’s as a result of president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is ready to conduct enterprise with (1) a seemingly bottomless price range and (2) the most effective farm techniques within the recreation.

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Because the Dodgers search to improve and revitalize their roster for a three-peat, Friedman can wield the group’s unprecedented may in each free company and the commerce market. Los Angeles already pounced on the previous, signing Edwin Díaz, the most effective reduction pitchers on this planet, to a three-year, $69 million deal. And nonetheless they lurk, like Jaws in Edgartown, ready to strike on their subsequent goal.

However regardless of their standing as baseball’s behemoth, the Dodgers usually are not an ideal membership. Their outfield combine, which ranked seventeenth in bWAR amongst MLB outfields in 2025, is comparatively pedestrian. Los Angeles’ bullpen — a unit so undermanned that it was primarily sidelined throughout the postseason — remains to be a piece in progress, even with Díaz within the fold. Friedman may additionally stand to inject some youth right into a position-player group that had the best common age in MLB final season.

It doesn't matter what occurs, the Dodgers for probably the most half are working issues again. Why wouldn’t they? Every time they carry again free-agent-in-name-only Kiké Hernández, L.A.’s projected Opening Day membership may have 12 of the 14 gamers from the World Collection roster (swap in Dalton Dashing for Ben Rortvedt at backup catcher and swap out defensive substitute Justin Dean).

In different phrases: The Dodgers have fewer questions than some other group in baseball. However they nonetheless have questions.

1. How will the outfield combine shake out? It’s a first-world drawback, however the Dodgers’ outfield was a casserole of mediocrity in 2025. Andy Pages, a flawed however productive presence in heart area throughout the common season, was painfully overmatched in October. In proper, Teoscar Hernández took a step again offensively in his age-32 season and stays a defensive detriment. Michael Conforto, who didn’t take a single postseason plate look, was an unmitigated catastrophe in left.

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The top of the woebegone Conforto Period means an open spot within the outfield. Ideally, Los Angeles fills that gap internally — by shifting Tommy Edman from second to heart and utilizing the keystone as a carousel for children comparable to Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim. However Edman underwent ankle surgical procedure in October to repair an ailment that principally restricted him to infield responsibility in 2025, so the Dodgers may paper issues over till Edman is full-go.

Pages, Teoscar, Alex Name and the yet-to-debut Ryan Ward may maintain down the fort for the primary few months. An exterior addition can also be not out of the query, however given the structure of the roster, it’s unlikely to be an enormous piece comparable to Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker, each of whom the Dodgers have curiosity in, however solely on a short-term, high-AAV deal.

2. Are they out on this yr’s Japanese free brokers? The previous two winters, Los Angeles reeled in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, three of probably the most sought-after Japanese free brokers in baseball historical past. That transactional dominance created frustration amongst non-Dodger followers, who began to consider that the Japan to Chavez Ravine pipeline was stopping their favourite groups from having an opportunity to signal the subsequent massive NPB star.

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However this yr, not one of the three main characters making the trans-Pacific leap — Tatsuya Imai, Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami — seem to suit on Los Angeles’ roster. In truth, the Dodgers is perhaps the one group in MLB without having for Imai, a 27-year-old, right-handed pitcher. Because the World Collection simply emphasised, L.A.’s beginning pitching workers is a humiliation of riches with Yamamoto, Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow all underneath contract for some time. Signing Imai would all however relegate Sasaki to the bullpen and stop homegrown arms comparable to Emmet Sheehan, Ben Casparius, Justin Wrobleski, et al., from taking turns within the rotation.

Okamoto, 29, and Murakami, 25, are each nook infielders, spots very a lot locked down by Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy. In concept, the Dodgers may have declined a $10 million possibility on Muncy and pivoted to both Japanese slugger, however they determined to maintain the veteran third baseman round for 2026. Freeman isn’t going wherever, and the DH spot clearly belongs to Ohtani. So barring a commerce or a positional recreation of musical chairs, the Dodgers are in all probability passing on this yr’s crop of NPB expertise.

[Get more Los Angeles news: Dodgers team feed]

3. Is there a means for the roster to get youthful? The Dodgers have been certainly one of simply two groups in 2025 whose position-player group’s common age was over 30 years outdated (Philly was the opposite). Father Time by no means loses — it is perhaps the one power stronger than the Dodgers — which places this roster in an enchanting spot shifting ahead. Mookie Betts is 33 and confirmed indicators of offensive decline final season. Freeman is 36. Muncy is 35. Hernández is 33. Ohtani turned 31 in July. Will Smith will play 2026 at 31, comparatively outdated for an every-day backstop.

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It’s one other first-world drawback, however Friedman would love to seek out roles for the subsequent technology of Dodgers regulars, together with Freeland, Kim, Dashing and, finally, hot-shot prospects Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope.

Buying and selling for a controllable outfielder underneath 28 would make some sense, and the Dodgers have the items to make it occur, however there aren’t too many apparent candidates afoot. L.A. made a push for Steven Kwan on the deadline and will revisit that possibility. Or maybe the Pink Sox’s glut of outfielders makes them a match. If not, the Dodgers in all probability simply roll in 2026 with an outdated group. Perhaps all that Guggenheim cash can finance a flux capacitor or one thing.

4. What number of extra exterior additions can be made within the bullpen? By the tip of the World Collection, supervisor Dave Roberts was working with a bullpen of beginning pitchers. In that unforgettable Sport 7, Roberts referred to as on 5 reduction arms — Wrobleski, Glasnow, Sheehan, Snell and Yamamoto — none of whom is definitely a reliever. Roki Sasaki’s emergence as a viable bullpen possibility was transformative, however the Dodgers nonetheless view him as a starter shifting ahead.

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Whereas the present bullpen appears to be like robust on paper, notably with Díaz within the fold, Friedman and Co. know the way empty such projections could be. Tanner Scott arrived final winter on a file contract, then proceeded to stumble and bumble his means into irrelevance. A bounce-back from him can be huge. There’s different expertise on this ‘pen — little question — however it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Dodgers herald one other reliable veteran arm comparable to Brad Keller, Pete Fairbanks or Luke Weaver.

5. Is a Tarik Skubal deal life like? With the two-time defending AL Cy Younger simply 12 months from free company, rumors have swirled round Skubal like Charlie Brown’s rain cloud. The Dodgers, MLB’s Massive Unhealthy, have understandably emerged as a possible touchdown spot. For now, it’s all rumour and clickbait, hopes and daydreams. Skubal in all probability isn’t getting traded. And if he have been, different contenders with out loaded rotations would in all probability be keen to commerce extra prospect capital to get him.

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But when Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris modifications course and decides to deal away the very best pitcher on Earth, the Dodgers may put collectively fairly an attractive bundle led by 20-year-old slugging outfielder Josue De Paula. It’s the kind of commerce that might ship the whole baseball world right into a frenzy, creating the sort of uproar not seen since Alex Rodriguez was dealt to the Yankees in 2004.

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