For the Dodgers, the winter starts with one big fork in the road: bring Tarik Skubal back, or watch the top name in the free-agent pool walk away.
That’s the headline item after Los Angeles saw its season end without the Commissioner's Trophy for the first time since 2023. The disappointment landed even harder because this was supposed to be another loaded run - the kind built after the back-to-back World Series titles, then reinforced by adding Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz and later swinging a deadline deal for Skubal. But Tucker and Diaz underwhelmed, Skubal was mostly solid, and an aging lineup started to show its wear.
The good news for the Dodgers is that this offseason does not bring sweeping turnover unless they choose to make it that way. The free-agent list is fairly short, and the biggest name on it is the pitcher they just acquired three months ago.
Tarik Skubal headlines the group of Dodgers set for free agency, joined by relievers Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Kris Bubic and Eric Lauer, plus utility man Kiké Hernandez and infielder Miguel Rojas, who already said he is retiring after this season. That leaves the Dodgers with a roster that is largely intact, but also with a bullpen that may need some patchwork if several arms leave at once. Treinen also missed the postseason because of injury.
If the Dodgers do not majorly reshape the roster, it’s because they don’t have to. The bigger issue is that much of the same position-player core that won 100 games is still lined up to return in 2027, including the older pieces that started to show their age this season. That puts pressure on the front office to find another way to inject offense.
Skubal is the obvious starting point. A reunion is very much on the table, and the Dodgers have the financial muscle to compete for him.
Even so, they do not always keep the stars they acquire in deadline deals; Manny Machado, Max Scherzer, Corey Seager and Trea Turner all eventually moved on. Still, a return to Los Angeles has to be viewed as the most likely outcome for Skubal.
If that happens, the rotation looks much more settled, especially if Shohei Ohtani is getting ready to pitch in 2027. From there, the challenge shifts to the lineup.
One path the Dodgers could take is moving Teoscar Hernandez, even if they have to eat part of the contract to make it happen. The bat no longer seems strong enough to cover for the defense, and Josue De Paula is ready for a shot. Pairing De Paula with Pages gives the Dodgers a chance to balance out some of the veteran bats that were inconsistent in 2026.
The bullpen could also get another expensive addition. Los Angeles has gone big on relief help in each of the last two offseasons, and that pattern could continue.
Diaz remains a priority, but Vesia and Phillips are both heading toward free agency, which creates another possible hole. The Dodgers could bring one or both back, or they could look elsewhere - names like Bryan Abreu, Pete Fairbanks and Adrian Morejon are out there in a relief market that offers some depth.
Payroll is already a huge part of the story. Even if Skubal leaves, the Dodgers are projected by Spotrac to carry the highest payroll obligations for 2027 at $370.5 million. The Mets are next at $286.7 million.
Part of that jump comes from Tucker’s contract, which barely registered in 2026 because of a massive signing bonus but will cost the Dodgers $55 million in 2027. Ohtani still has seven years left on his deal, so he is locked in for 2027 and beyond.
With a lockout looming, the real question is how far the Dodgers want to push the number. Would they be comfortable climbing past $400 million before the luxury tax?
They might have to be. And if they keep Skubal, they could try to get inventive again with the way they structure another major deal.
In Other News...
Miguel Rojas Already Has A New Dodgers Role After Retirement
Miguel Rojas is moving into a new chapter almost as soon as his playing one has ended, with the longtime infielder officially announcing his retirement after a 13-year career spent with the Dodgers and Marlins. He shared the news and his gratitude on Instagram after Los Angeles was knocked out of the postseason, closing the book on a career that ended with him firmly tied to the Dodgers organization.
Rojas will stay close to the club in his next role, joining the Dodgers front office in player development. For a team that has valued his steady presence and understanding of the game, the move keeps him in the building as Los Angeles looks to keep developing the next wave of talent, even as one of its most trusted veterans steps away from the field. [Read more 🡒]
Mookie Betts Breaks Silence As Dodgers Face A Painful Offseason
The Dodgers are heading into an offseason full of hard questions, and Mookie Betts offered a glimpse of how the group is processing the ending. After the loss to the Brewers in the National League Championship Series, Betts posted a message on Instagram thanking Dodgers fans, a small but telling acknowledgment after a season that fell short of another championship run.
Betts own postseason line underscored how difficult October was for him and for the lineup as a whole, with a .207 batting average and no home runs or RBIs in 29 at-bats. Now the focus shifts from the disappointment of missing a third straight title to the roster decisions ahead, with the Dodgers facing a winter that could reshape what the team looks like next season. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Painful Offseason Decision With Key Arms At Risk
After another October exit at the hands of the Brewers, the Dodgers are already turning the page to an offseason that could reshape the pitching staff and parts of the roster. A group of familiar names is heading toward free agency, and the front office will have to sort out which pieces still fit the clubs plans, which ones might draw real interest elsewhere, and which veterans could be looking at very different futures.
The list includes arms and clubhouse mainstays such as Kris Bubic, Brusdar Graterol, Eric Lauer, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia, along with position players Enrique Hernandez and Miguel Rojas, plus Tarik Skubal as part of the broader market picture. Some of those decisions are straightforward in theory and messy in practice, especially when recent performance and career stage point in different directions. For a team built to contend every year, the challenge now is deciding how much turnover it can stomach without weakening the group that has to go back and chase another title. [Read more 🡒]