Andrew Friedman isn’t interested in the noise.
With the Dodgers falling short of their ultimate goal after their National League Championship Series elimination, the conversation around the club has quickly shifted to whether the run is fading. Friedman, though, made it clear that talk of the dynasty being over doesn’t register inside the organization.
“For us, and we’ve talked about this a lot, even after successes and winning a World Series and then winning back-to-back, everything we do is for our fans. There’s a lot of noise around us in general. We don’t really pay much attention to it,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.
He doubled down on that point, tying the team’s focus to the people in the stands and the goal that still drives everything.
“It’s the partnership we feel with our fans, and so people saying that we’re done and we’re on the downside of this run, it’s just more noise to us because everything for us is about the motivation we have to have a parade in the streets of Los Angeles next November. That is all of our of our motivation.
“So the outside stuff just doesn’t matter to us because everything for us is about the partnership we have with our fans. The way they showed up this year, the way they poured themselves into this team, a lot of our disappointment is rooted in how much we disappointed them.
“And so it’s about doing everything we can to win the last game of next year and feel that joy again throughout the city.”
The skepticism outside the building isn’t universal. Free agent Tarik Skubal also believes the Dodgers still have the pieces to be right back in the World Series mix next season. From his own experience in 2026, Skubal pointed to the team’s talent, preparation and work ethic as reasons not to buy into the idea that the dynasty is finished.
Miguel Rojas feels the same way. He said he has faith in the organization to move past this season and come back even stronger in 2027, and he finds it hard to bet against a roster that includes Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
Free agency is already here, with MLB’s market opening the morning after the World Series ended. For the Dodgers, that means nine players technically reached the open market, though it is really eight free agents because of Rojas’ decision to retire.
L.A. also figures to be active beyond its own departures. The club will look to improve through free agency and trades, and it has already identified areas it wants to upgrade. That work comes with an added wrinkle, too, as the offseason could be shaped by the possibility of a looming MLB lockout.
In Other News...
Former Dodgers All-Star Is Still Fighting To Stick Elsewhere
Tony Gonsolins path back to a stable big league job has taken another turn, and for Dodgers fans it is a familiar name in a new place. The right-hander, who spent 2019 through 2025 with Los Angeles and was part of the clubs 2020 World Series run, landed with the Royals in August after signing while coming back from right elbow surgery.
Kansas City has now exercised its club option for the 2027 season, keeping Gonsolin on the roster with a $2.5 million salary. It is another sign that the Royals still see something worth holding onto in a pitcher whose recent seasons have been interrupted by injuries, even after the Dodgers moved on from him following the 2025 season. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Come Up Empty In Two Gold Glove Races
Max Muncy and Andy Pages gave the Dodgers a little late-season Gold Glove intrigue, but the club came up empty in both of its finalist races. Muncy was among the finalists at third base and Pages was in the mix in center field, a sign that Los Angeles had at least two defenders drawing real league-wide respect heading into the awards.
Alex Bregman took the honor at third base, while Pete Crow-Armstrong won in center field after the voting from MLB managers and coaches was combined with the SABR Defensive Index. For the Dodgers, it was a reminder that even when the defense looks strong enough to earn a seat at the table, the final verdict can still go another way. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Freddie Freeman Decision Fans May Not Like
Freddie Freeman has been one of the defining pieces of the Dodgers run over the past five years, a steady presence who brought All-Star production and championship pedigree to the middle of the lineup. But as he enters the final year of his contract at 37, the conversation around him is shifting from what he has meant to the club to what comes next for a team that has to keep balancing present-day contention with an aging roster.
The Dodgers have already shown they are willing to think ahead, and the next step may involve leaning more heavily on younger talent from a farm system that has given them real options. Freemans decline in power, speed and defense makes the decision more complicated, because this is not just about sentiment or legacy, but about how long the Dodgers can keep one of their most trusted veterans at the center of their plans. [Read more 🡒]