The Dodgers made it through the trade deadline with three names still on the roster, but that doesn’t mean those players are safe. With an offseason work stoppage looming and the next collective bargaining agreement hanging over the sport, Los Angeles could be forced to make some hard choices about payroll and roster construction.
That pressure is especially real for a club that has already drawn plenty of criticism around the way it has built out its roster, including the deferrals tied to superstar contracts. If a salary cap comes into play, the Dodgers could end up staring at a roster that is tough to carry financially.
That’s why Teoscar Hernandez, Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan look like the most obvious candidates to be gone by winter’s end, even though all three survived the deadline.
Hernandez is the clearest case of a veteran whose future may be tied to money and age. He carries the seventh-highest AAV on the Dodgers roster in 2026 and 2027, and that comes before a $15 million team option in 2028.
He has been better during a September surge, but his overall offensive production this season has still been underwhelming. He’ll be 34 entering the 2027 season, and with Josue De Paula’s call-up looking like a tryout for a 2027 roster spot, the Dodgers could decide to go with the much cheaper option in left field if they need to trim salary.
Wrobleski’s situation is different, but just as interesting. The Dodgers clearly need pitching depth, yet keeping the 26-year-old left-hander through the deadline may have been a mistake if the goal was to sell high. His season has split sharply before and after the All-Star break.
Pre All-Star Break: 10-2 W-L, 100.1 IP, 82 H, 73:20 K:BB, 8 HR, 2.69 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 1.02 WHIP
Opposing hitters slashed .219/.263/.323/.586 vs. Wrobleski pre-ASB
Post All-Star Break: 1-3 W-L, 31.0 IP, 39 H, 37:10 K:BB, 13 HR, 7.55 ERA, 7.34 FIP, 1.58 WHIP
Opposing hitters are slashing .300/.357/.654/1.010 post-ASB
Even with those numbers, Wrobleski still has appeal. He’s pre-arbitration eligible, has already shown he can pitch in the majors, and has enough upside to attract interest from around the league.
The Dodgers’ projected rotation moving forward - Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki and/or Gavin Stone - only makes that kind of movable depth more valuable. Tarik Skubal in free agency would be another factor, too, if that reunion ever became part of the picture.
Sheehan fits the same broad profile as Wrobleski: young, pre-arbitration eligible and in need of a fresh start. But his season has been worse, and if he stays, the Dodgers may be more likely to shift him to the bullpen. That makes him a logical offseason trade candidate, with Los Angeles potentially preferring to move him now and see if another team is willing to take a shot on the right-hander.
In Other News...
Dave Roberts Just Raised A Dodgers Question Fans Will Hate
Elly De La Cruz has already become one of the more frustrating outs on the Dodgers schedule, and Dave Roberts made sure to acknowledge why. The Reds shortstop has put together a strong season and has shown up especially well against Los Angeles, where his speed, power and all-around athleticism have stood out in the kind of matchups that tend to sharpen a players profile.
Roberts praised De La Cruzs talent and the way he handles big moments, which only adds to the sense that this is the sort of player every contender notices. For Dodgers fans, the uncomfortable part is that De La Cruz is still early in his team control window, with three years of arbitration left before he can hit free agency in 2030, and Cincinnati has not yet locked him into a long-term deal. That leaves plenty of time for a player already looking like one of the sports more electric names to remain a problem for Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Rehab Concern Emerges After Pitcher Exits Triple A Game Fast
Oklahoma Citys Friday doubleheader ended on a positive note in the standings, but one of the more important developments for the Dodgers came on the mound. In the resumed game against El Paso, Jake Cousins needed only one pitch before leaving with a leg issue as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery, a setback that quickly shifted attention away from the two wins the Triple-A club collected.
The Dodgers have been monitoring Cousins as part of his return process, so any interruption in that buildup is worth watching closely. Oklahoma City still got plenty from the rest of the roster, with Alex Thomas, Matt Gorski and Zach Ehrhard standing out offensively across the two games, but the bigger question now is how the club handles Cousins next steps after such a brief outing. [Read more 🡒]
Josue De Paula Just Changed A Real Dodgers October Debate
Josue De Paulas first turn at Dodger Stadium came in a game that looked a lot like the kind of October test the Dodgers have been chasing all season. Los Angeles beat the Giants in the opener of its final homestand, kept rolling in the season series, and did it with a power display that included five home runs. Tyler Glasnow gave them six solid innings, allowing two runs while striking out six, and the bullpen finished the job without much fuss.
De Paulas contribution in his home debut adds another layer to a lineup already built for October noise, and its the kind of performance that can make a front office pause when the calendar tightens. The Dodgers have spent much of the season sorting out how their best version looks, and games like this only sharpen the conversation about who belongs in the mix when the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]