The Dodgers are staring at a winter packed with decisions, and one of the biggest could mean shaking up a rotation that has been one of the team’s strengths. A bold trade idea is now on the table, one that would split up that starting group but could also clear room for a pursuit of Tarik Skubal.
That possibility comes with a price tag. Skubal delivered everything expected of him and more after arriving at the trade deadline, but he is also projected to command close to $500 million on the open market this winter. That kind of number lands hard for any team, even one with several major deals already committed.
Another major storyline from the Dodgers’ postseason exit centers on Shohei Ohtani, who said the National League Championship Series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers revealed flaws in his game.
"The Brewers were overall strong and a very good team, and it really exposed some of the parts of me as a player, and got to give some credit to that," Ohtani said after Game 4 of the NLCS.
The struggles were visible in the box score. Ohtani hit just .192 over the eight October games the Dodgers played, while striking out 10 times and finishing with a .630 OPS.
His rough stretch didn’t begin in the postseason. Ohtani went on the injured list for the first time as a Dodger in early September, coming after an August that was already his weakest month of the year. In those 27 games, he batted .241, and after returning from the shelf he had only five regular-season games before the playoffs started.
There is also a lesson the Dodgers cannot afford to ignore this winter. One issue that showed up in the NLCS was the offense’s inability to come through, especially with runners in scoring position, and that has been a recurring problem across the last two offseasons.
If the Dodgers repeat that pattern, the cost could be steep, with millions more in money that could be put to better use elsewhere.
Six Dodgers players are eligible for arbitration this offseason: Andy Pages, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Brock Stewart, Alex Call and Jake Cousins.
In Other News...
Dodgers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About This Massive Trade Idea
Jim Bowdens latest trade proposal is the kind of idea that gets Dodgers fans talking for all the right and wrong reasons. In his scenario, Los Angeles would send prized prospect Josue De Paula and additional pieces to Washington in exchange for outfielder James Wood and shortstop CJ Abrams, a swap built around two young Nationals stars who both earned All-Star nods last season and still come with multiple years of team control.
It is easy to see why the concept has some appeal on paper, especially with Los Angeles always looking for ways to strengthen a roster already built to contend. But it also feels like the sort of package the Dodgers would be reluctant to part with, and the articles larger point is hard to miss: even if the Nationals would be getting a significant return, this is the kind of blockbuster idea that seems more useful as debate material than as a realistic path for either side. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Could Lose Another Familiar Front Office Voice Soon
The Mariners search for a new manager has taken them well beyond their own dugout, and it could soon reach into the Dodgers front office. Seattle is casting a wide net after Dan Wilsons departure, with former big-league skipper Rocco Baldelli among the names drawing interest while he serves as a special assistant in Los Angeles. Baldellis background makes him a natural fit for a club looking for a manager with experience, especially after spending several seasons running the Twins.
Joe Espada has already interviewed for the opening, and the Mariners had previously looked into Carlos Mendoza before he landed with the Phillies. For the Dodgers, the larger issue is familiar: Baldelli has already been linked to other managerial vacancies since arriving in Los Angeles in 2025, and another successful search elsewhere would only add to the list of voices the organization could lose from its staff. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Will Have Mixed Feelings About This World Series
Even with the World Series now featuring teams far from Chavez Ravine, there is still a familiar Dodgers thread running through it. Jonny DeLuca is with the Rays, Dustin May is on the Brewers, and former Dodgers such as Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Lux and Michael Grove are part of the wider picture too, which means this matchup carries a little extra intrigue for fans who have watched so many of those names come through Los Angeles.
For Dodgers supporters, it is the kind of postseason that can prompt a split reaction. There is obvious pride in seeing former players in the Fall Classic and the possibility that some of them could end up with championship rings, but there is also the strange reality of tracking ex-Dodgers on clubs that stand between Los Angeles and another title run. Mays season with Milwaukee has been uneven across the regular season and into October, adding another layer to a World Series that already feels unusually tied to the Dodgers recent past. [Read more 🡒]