The Dodgers may be staring at a quieter 2027 than plenty of fans expect, with the real roster reset possibly waiting until 2028.
That’s the read on where this thing is headed: a looming lockout in the 2027 offseason, a weak crop of true stars in free agency and on the trade market, and the possibility that the next winter brings a very different financial climate. In theory, a salary cap could even be in place by 2028, which would make a club like the Dodgers think twice about piling more money onto an already bloated payroll.
Andrew Friedman made it clear the Dodgers will keep evaluating outside options, but his comments also pointed toward a different kind of planning. The focus, at least for now, sounds like it’s shifting toward younger players.
“……when you couple the core talent that we have at the major league level with the position-player strengths that we have in our farm system, that’s what makes us excited, is the art of how to onboard some of these young, talented minor league players,” Friedman said in his end-of-year presser.
That’s the kind of line that gets people reading between the cracks. Katie Woo of The Athletic did exactly that during a Reddit Ask Me Anything, saying Friedman’s answers sounded less like a team gearing up for outside splashes and more like one preparing for internal turnover.
“Reading between the lines of how those questions were answered: the Dodgers are certainly aware of their age of their roster,” Woo wrote on Reddit.
“There’s not much they can do about it, given the contracts. They also believe in the pedigree of their players, which I do understand.
“I think 2028 will be the season we see major change. 2027 seems to be about getting younger on the margins and preparing for a transition in the season to follow.”
If 2028 is the year the Dodgers really start to reshape things, the market should help. The free-agent class is expected to be deeper, even if it doesn’t feature anyone better than Tarik Skubal. The position-player names at the top include Munetaka Murakami, Wilson Contreras, Adley Rutschman, Ozzie Albies, Jeremy Peña, Nolan Arenado, and Steven Kwan.
Pitching should be there too. The source material points to a class with plenty of starters and high-leverage relievers, giving teams more ways to attack the market.
For the Dodgers, that could line up with some notable departures. Teoscar Hernandez, Tyler Glasnow, and Hyeseong Kim are among the players mentioned as possible moves, along with other veterans on longer deals who would have one fewer year left on their contracts.
There’s still the human side of it, too. This current veteran group has delivered plenty of memorable moments, and that emotional pull could buy them at least one more run together. But if that run ends with another title push or another season that falls short, the pressure for bigger change in 2028 could be impossible to ignore.
In Other News...
Dodgers Fans Have A New Prospect Debate With A Fall Stars Twist
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Now the debate shifts to who should join them, with fans voting on one more National League spot from a pool that includes Dodgers prospects Eduardo Quintero and Charles Davalan, along with Padres infielder Justin DeCriscio. For a player development system that has already put two names on the roster, the final choice adds a little extra intrigue for Dodgers followers who have been tracking the fall circuit closely. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Could Be Near A Tough Kik Hernndez Decision
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One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Mauricio Dubon, the versatile defender most recently with the Atlanta Braves. Dubon would likely come at a higher salary, which only adds to the calculus for a Dodgers front office trying to balance value with familiarity, and while a move away from Hernndez looks increasingly possible, it is not yet official. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Could Lose A Bullpen Weapon To A Familiar Rival
The Dodgers have already made one major bullpen splash by landing Edwin Daz, and they are not likely to stop there as they keep looking for ways to deepen a roster built to chase another title. With Tarik Skubal expected to be a major winter target, Los Angeles is also being linked to a more immediate relief-market possibility in Padres left-hander Adrin Morejn, a pitcher who has quietly become one of the more interesting names in the division.
Morejn has been extended a qualifying offer by San Diego and has until November 17 to decide whether to take it or test free agency, which leaves the door open for a familiar rival to make a run at him. For the Dodgers, the appeal is obvious: pairing Morejn with Daz would give them another high-end bullpen look, while also turning a Padres weapon into part of the same late-inning mix that has long frustrated opponents in the National League West. [Read more 🡒]