The Dodgers’ October machine is never just about the stars at the top of the payroll. It’s also about the guys who can keep the whole thing from wobbling when the injuries start piling up, and this winter will test that depth again.
Los Angeles has already watched several familiar pieces head toward the open market. Kiké Hernández is a free agent, Miguel Rojas has retired, Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips are also heading to free agency, and Dalton Rushing’s slightly torn UCL leaves the catching situation less settled than it looked a few weeks ago.
Josue De Paula finally got the call fans had been waiting on and went 11 games deep with a .323 average and a .500 on-base percentage, but everyday playing time will be hard to come by with Shohei Ohtani locked in at DH and the outfield already crowded. Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero and Christian Zazueta are on the way as well, but the more immediate answers may come from a tier below that.
One of the more interesting names is Jacob Kmatz, a right-hander who has already shown he can throw strikes and handle volume. He was a freshman All-American at Oregon State, pitched with Travis Bazzana, and first went to the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth round in 2024.
The Dodgers added him in August in the deal that sent Hunter Feduccia the other way, and across both organizations he put together a 2.76 ERA with 99 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 71⅔ innings. That kind of profile gives Los Angeles a real bulk-innings option for the stretches when the rotation gets hit with multiple injuries at once.
Jackson Ferris has a different path, but the same kind of usefulness if the Dodgers need left-handed help. He came over from the Chicago Cubs with Zyhir Hope in the Michael Busch trade and was once ranked among the system’s top 10 prospects.
A tough Triple-A season, including 43 walks in his first 73 innings, knocked him down to No. 17.
Still, he finished with a strong September, striking out 28 batters in 19 innings, and Baseball America now views him as a relief option in 2027. With Vesia leaving after a 20-hold season, a lefty who can miss bats in shorter bursts fits the need neatly.
Zach Ehrhard brings a different kind of versatility. He passed on the Boston Red Sox as a 13th-round pick out of high school, went to Oklahoma State, then came off the board in the fourth round before joining Los Angeles in the Dustin May trade with James Tibbs III.
This year he hit .291/.400/.472 with 20 homers and 27 steals, played all three outfield spots in Oklahoma City and did damage against lefties. That’s the kind of profile that makes a manager and a front office breathe easier: a player who can move around, handle left-handed pitching and chip in with speed.
Alex Freeland may be the cleanest fit of all because the Dodgers already know he can help in multiple places. He got some action this season while platooning with Rojas at second base before heading back to Oklahoma City for the stretch run.
The switch-hitter from UCF has seen time at second, short and third, and he once swiped 31 bases in a minor league season. The key detail is that he still has minor league options, which gives Los Angeles flexibility without risking losing him.
The Dodgers are going to spend this winter, because that’s what they do. But the teams that keep reaching October usually have more than star power; they have enough organizational depth to survive the months when the roster gets thinned out. These four minor leaguers give Los Angeles a chance to keep that part of the machine humming in 2027.
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Klein is expected back by spring training, which at least gives the Dodgers some clarity as they look ahead to the offseason and into next year. Andrew Friedman also said the coaching staff is expected to stay intact for the 2027 season, a bit of stability that matters for a team that has spent plenty of time managing moving parts behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes Snell such a compelling piece of the Dodgers future is the tension between his ambition and the reality of his recent run in Los Angeles. His tenure has been interrupted by multiple injuries, and the organization now has a big-picture question to sort through as it heads into the next few seasons: how to get the most out of a pitcher who still sees himself as a long-term force, but needs better health and sharper results to get there. [Read more 🡒]